Blackstenius happy to share spotlight on Sweden
Thursday, July 23, 2015
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Stina Blackstenius' scoring exploits this season have earned her a place in the history books but, as they prepare to face Germany, she says there is no I in Sweden's team.
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Sitting among the all-time greats in women's football history, few would dispute Stina Blackstenius is one of the most promising talents in Swedish football – except her.
The 19-year-old is just two away from smashing Elena Danilova's record of 17 goals in one WU19 EURO campaign, qualifying included, and the Russian is also the only player who can better her total haul of 28 goals in the competition. Blackstenius is a stand-out player of this generation, but studiously avoids centre stage.
"It means a lot to hear these statistics, I genuinely had no idea," says the Linköping forward, who has scored two and won a penalty in two appearances in Israel. "I really don't like putting myself in the spotlight, and these kinds of numbers are nice to hear, but they're not anything I think about.
"I think Sweden is behind the whole team, not just me, and that's the way it should be. It's nice that people like what I am doing, but I don't belong in the centre of everyone's attention. It means more to me to hear the team is great, than me."
They are certainly not doing badly at the moment, advancing with few alarms to Friday's WU19 EURO semi-final in Netanya, and a showdown with Germany. Blackstenius, who aged 16 scored 36 goals in one third division season in Sweden, is fazed neither by the occasion nor the opponents.
"We have played some good football this tournament. I think we are well prepared, as we have been for every team we have met. So it doesn't matter who we have to play – every team is good here. There are four teams left, so we're among the best, but perhaps we are underdogs.
"We have as good a chance as anyone else, though. Last year's finals in Norway were harder as I think we had a tougher group with Spain, England and the Republic of Ireland. We didn't make the semi-finals.
"Myself and a lot of the girls were there last year, so we have more experience and we've found the group games easier. But the semi-final will be very different."
All-time WU19 EURO scorers, qualifying included
33 – Elena Danilova (Russia)
28 – Stina Blackstenius (Sweden)
23 – Agnese Ricco (Italy)
22 – Isabel Kerschowski (Germany)
21 – Elena Terekhova (Russia)
21 – Elin Rubensson (Sweden)
20 – Marie-Laure Delie (France)
20 – Patricia Martínez (Spain)
20 – Vanessa Bürki (Switzerland)
Most goals in a season
17 – 2005/06: Elena Danilova (Russia)
16 – 2014/15: Stina Blackstenius (Sweden)
15 – 2004/05: Elena Danilova (Russia)
14 – 2012/13: Jovana Damnjanović (Serbia)
13 – 2010/11: Melissa Bjånesøy (Norway)
13 – 2011/12: Elin Rubensson (Sweden)