FIFA World Cup 2018: Sweden wins 50th World Cup match, place in quarter-finals
Playing its 50th World Cup match, Sweden could not have asked for more than a place in the quarter finals of the FIFA World Cup 2018 defeating Switzerland by a solitary second half goal.
Sweden became the eleventh country of the world and ninth from Europe to complete 50 matches in the history fo World Cup. There could not have been a better way to celebrate this special occasion. For Switzerland, the match turned out to be a heart broke. Since 1954 Switzerland has never made to the last eight round of the World Cup.
It was a first meeting between Sweden and Switzerland in any major international tournament though they have played each other 29 times before.
The day belonged to Emi Forsberg who scored the all important goal of the game in the 66th minute after. The move started with a massive deflection of the foot of Lindelof's driving run as the ball was directed for Toivenon who squared it for Forsberg. The Swedish midfielder made no mistake.
Incidentally, Sweden has won each of its last three World Cup Games in which the score at interval was 0-0. And Switzerland remained winless in its last three such games.
In the third minute of injury time, Sweden was awarded a penalty after striker Martin Olsson was pushed from behind by Michael Lang while he was about to take a shot at the goal.
The award was reviewed by VAR. Though Michael Lang got Red card, penalty was substituted by a free kick from the top of the box.
Swedes, sitting on 1-0 victory margin, could not make use of the free kick as the ball was shot straight into goalkeeper.
