Sweden 1 Ireland 0 Magdalena Eriksson of Sweden, 6, celebretes after scoring her side's winning goal during the 2025 UEFA Women's European Championship qualifying match against Ireland at Friends Arena in Stockholm, Sweden. Photo: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile Eileen Gleeson howled to the heavens as full-time heralded another defeat of a different hue. Her side have much to ponder.
They remain scoreless and winless in 2024 and if they cannot stop the bleeding in England, or in Cork against France, their play-off route to Euro 2025 will become far more complicated. Katie McCabe will amiss Ireland’s return clash with England after picking up her second yellow card in Euro 2025 qualifying. If that wasn’t agonising enough, the Irish captain then had to watch as Jonna Andersson almost replicated the Tallaght woman’s famous World Cup goal to shatter stout Irish resistance in Stockholm’s Friends Arena.
Magdalena Eriksson claimed the goal with a slight touch off her back, but the concession was needless after 84 minutes of committed resolution in the dark arts of restricting the home side’s ability to play. Courtney Brosnan remained rooted on her line; Ireland remain rooted at the bottom of their group. For much of the night here, it was the Swedes who were finding things complicated.
They had been caught on the hop by Ireland’s formation switch last Friday and weren’t going to be fooled again. It took them quite a while to have the last laugh on a grim night for the beau.