Not many people would have predicted this final pairing but on August 19, Germany and Sweden will face each other in the Gold medal match at the Rio 2016 Olympics. The two teams have met on numerous occasions on the biggest stages and it is always an interesting matchup.
In fact, the last time the two teams met in a major competition was at the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup where Germany beat the Swedes by four goals to one in the Round of 16. Before that, the two teams met at the 2013 UEFA Women's European Championship where Germany managed a one-nil win over Sweden to advance to the final and eventually win the tournament. This time around, Sweden will be determined to finally come out on top and will have every belief that they can do so.
Silvia Neid looks to leave on a high
After the announcement last year that Silvia Neid will no longer be the head coach of Germany after these Olympics, many have looked back at her time with the team and concluded that her players will want her to leave with an Olympic gold medal, something that Neid had not managed to win in her time in charge of the national team.
Germany themselves will come into the final still without the services of Simone Laudehr who has returned to Germany to recover from an injury she received early in the competition. The Germans have reacted well to Laudehr's exit and find themselves heading into the final after defeating China and a solid win over Canada on their way to the Maracanã in Rio. Many of the current players have won major championships with their clubs and with their country but after falling short in the Women's World Cup in both the semi-final and the third-place match, the Germans would like to give themselves something to build on heading into the 2017 UEFA Women's European Championship. A gold medal will be the perfect platform for that.
Pia Sundhage could win another Gold medal
Neid's opposite number, Pia Sundhage, will be looking to win her third Olympic Gold medal in a row. Her previous two wins came with the team she knocked out in the quarter-finals, the United States of America, but this may be her most important gold medal yet as it will be with her home country and with them coming into this match as underdogs, under a fair bit of criticism. Sweden has ben scrutinized for how they have played to reach this stage of the Women's Soccer tournament but they would not be the first, nor the last, team to use a defensive tactic to win a major competition. It is still a viable option in the game of soccer and while others may not like it, the end result, especially for the Swedes, is what matters the most.
Sweden has also suffered injuries to key players and will be without the services of Fridolina Rolfö who also has now left the competition due to injury. Despite this loss, Sweden has held their nerve to overcome two penalty shootouts and will now go into this match against their old foes knowing that their defensive stability could be the decisive factor tomorrow.
What to watch out for from both teams
Both teams have quality throughout each section of their team and it will most likely come down to either whoever executes their tactical game plan correctly or who makes the least mistakes. There probably will not be any surprises if this match ends up going to a penalty shootout as well.
Germany will look to their midfield to control the match and create against a formidable Swedish back line. The likes of Dzsenifer Marozsán , Melanie Behringer, and Sara Däbritz will be who Neid looks to break down the solid yellow and blue wall that Sweden will likely have in place. Behringer, in particular, has been key to all that Germany have accomplished in this competition so far. The Bayern Munich midfielder has netted five goals in the tournament and continues to be the fulcrum for Germany in every one of their matches. Another good performance by her against Sweden will definitely slide the odds of a win over to Germany.
The Germans will also be looking to their fullbacks to provide width for them as well as for their key striker Anja Mittag to finally find her way in front of goal during this tournament. Germany's one weakness is the lack of pace from their center backs, Annike Krahn and Saskia Bartusiak, which can be exposed with the right kind of forward in place. Almuth Schult 's inconsistency will be another worry for Germany, and even though she had a stellar match against Canada, Schult is known to be prone to errors far more regularly than a goalkeeper of her standard should be.
Sweden, on the other hand, will rely on their back five to provide them a good base to start with. Nilla Fischer, Emma Berglund and in particular goalkeeper Hedvig Lindahl, have been in exceptional form since their group match trouncing at the hands of Brazil. They have managed to repel most of what has come their way and Lindahl has been in fantastic form especially during the penalty shootouts that Sweden has progressed from. Lindahl has definitely been the key piece in Sweden's defensive solidity. The Chelsea FC goalkeeper has been the hero in previous penalty shootouts and during the matches, has made some vital saves to keep her country in the game. She will be called upon tomorrow undoubtedly but with her confidence level where it currently is, expect Lindahl to perform well again.
Caroline Seger, Sweden's anchor in midfield, will also be key in stopping a very good German midfield and going forward, Lotta Schelin is always a threat but even she has struggled to find her touch in front of goal. If she, along with her teammates Kosovare Asllani and Sofia Jakobsson, can find their clinical finishing again and match it with the pace of Stina Blackstenius, Sweden will come out of this victorious.