Rematches for EURO rivals
Friday, January 20, 2006
Article summary
England and Sweden will renew their rivalry from UEFA WOMEN'S EURO 2005™ when they play each other in two friendlies in Cyprus next month.
Article body
EURO meeting
The teams will meet at the GSZ stadium in Larnaca on 7 February, then again two days later at Achnas's Dhasaki stadium. Last June Sweden beat England 1-0 in Blackburn to pip the hosts to the EURO semi-finals, where they succumbed to neighbours Norway. England have lost eight consecutive matches against Sweden, dating back to the two-legged European final in 1984.
Swedish squad
For both sides, the games form part of their winter warm-weather training for the next set of 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup qualifiers. Sweden, who will be preparing in Cyprus from 4 February, play in the Algarve Cup in March and resume their Group 2 qualifiers from pole position with a 22 April trip to the Czech Republic. In their squad for Cyprus they have named uncapped duo Stina Segerström and Caroline Näfwer, but are without Malin Moström, Jane Törnqvist, Anna Sjöström, Caroline Jönsson and Salina Olsson, who could all return for the Algarve Cup.
England trip
England, leading Group 5, have been in La Manga this week and have a crucial home tie against France on 26 March. Coach Hope Powell's assistant Brent Hills said the trip to Spain enabled them "to work on a very intensive range of training, fitness and tactical sessions", and was "a chance for Hope and myself to see how the younger players handle the environment".