Wellington, July 29 : Set pieces again proved crucial as Sweden on Saturday swept aside Italy to qualify for the last 16. Just as in their opening match against South Africa, Amanda Ilestedt emerged as the team’s unlikely goal hero, undoing Le Azzurre with two towering headers. Jonna Andersson corners laid on each of those goals and another from Fridolina Rolfo, with open-play efforts from Stina Blackstenius and Rebecka Blomqvist offering eye-catching exceptions to the rule. Yet although the scoreline might suggest that Peter Gerhardsson’s side were rampant throughout, they struggled during the early stages, only hitting their stride as half-time approached. Nerves seemed to be settled when that Andersson-Ilestedt double act combined for the first time, with the latter providing a deadly glancing touch to direct home the former’s perfectly weighted inswinging corner. Andersson was at it again five minutes later, flighting in another wonderful cross from the same spot that caused chaos in the Italian ranks, enabling Rolfo to prod in an opportunistic second. Italy were reeling, Sweden brimming with confidence, and the outcome was effectively settled in first-half stoppage time when Blackstenius popped up in the right place at the right time to round off a flowing team move. The Arsenal striker is, however, becoming used to being outshone – and outscored – by her club team-mate, and Ilestedt added further gloss to the scoreline early in the second half with another brave near-post header. Remarkably, the big centre-back is now joint-leader in the race for the adidas Golden Boot, and she will have a chance to bolster her tally as Sweden go marching on to the knockout phase. So, too, will Blomqvist, the speedy substitute who added salt to Italian wounds with an excellent fifth deep into injury time, racing from halfway to slide the ball home.
