Why Kosovare Asllani is Sweden's unsung hero on their quest for gold

Pressing always matters..

Sweden’s remarkable run in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics has been nothing short of astonishing. They were expected to do well, but not this well. The way Sweden have battered and bruised their way through the tournament has caught everyone by surprise. 

Peter Gerhardsson has proven himself to be an astute tactician capable of managing several high-calibre players, moulding them into a cohesive and structured unit. Gerhadsson’s move to a 4-4-1-1 has proven to be a stroke of genius as it’s unshackled Sweden’s dangerous front four. Their structured approach has been their standout trademark, but it’s how their attack has shaped up and catapulted them into the most dangerous sides in the tournament that has captivated the hearts and minds of fans and media alike.

While the likes of the Netherlands scored 10+ goals, they did so against weaker opposition and when it came down to it, they couldn’t break down the USWNT. Meanwhile, Sweden put three past the United States, five past Australia (if you include the group stage), and two against New Zealand. 

Stina Blackstenius, Fridolina Rolfö, and Sofia Jakobsson will take the plaudits for their goals and attacking performance, but Kosovare Asllani has gone under the radar and is the key component that enables the forwards to thrive. As such, I plan to explain Asllani’s role and how it’ll prove crucial to Sweden’s hopes of striking gold.

The evolution of the number 10 has been well documented and I won’t be getting into the history, but it makes sense to pinpoint where on the spectrum Asllani sits. The old-school, playmaking attacking midfielder might be dead but in reality, the role has evolved rather than die out. Mesut Özil is the archetype of the position and role which many recognise but this playmaking skillset is reminiscent of the one played by deeper-lying playmakers. Someone like Cesc Fabregas or Ji So-Yun are mirror images of what an orthodox number 10 possesses. 

However, the main difference with the current number 10 and previous ones is they’ve now evolved from being a converted striker or central midfielder. Each one brings their own attribute to the role and has in fact made it the norm. Om Arvind wrote an excellent article on Mikkel Damsgaard off the back of his breakout tournament at Euro 2020 and explained this concept in more detail.

Real Madrid’s number 9 has nominally been a centre-forward throughout her career but is now thriving in a playmaking number 10 role for Sweden. Asllani brings a natural attacking instinct and aggressiveness from her centre-forward displays but has adapted it to become an extremely hardworking player. This mix of defensive and attacking prowess has made her an extremely versatile and important player for Sweden as she carries out a specific role that enables the team around her to thrive.

Let’s understand Gerhardsson’s system to add some context. The Swedish coach’s 4-4-1-1 system is to push the two wingers high and allow them to come inside with the full-backs overlapping. They play out from the back but look to play through the middle before moving the ball out wide to the wingers. 

When Magdalena Eriksson plays at left-back, they tilt slightly to the right encouraging Hanna Glas to become an auxiliary winger. The forwards will look to attack the box and get in behind the opposition full-backs while the opposite winger will make late runs from the back post. It’s off the ball where Sweden have impressed the most in my opinion. The forwards will press high, not to dispossess but just enough to force a mistake out of the opposition. 

Each of them will rotate and press a pivot or more if the opposition adapts by bringing more players deep, whether that be Blackstenius, Rolfö, or Filippa Angeldal supporting Asllani. These defensive rotations are a highlight of the Swede’s defensive ingenuity.

This is supplemented by having two defensive midfielders in Caroline Seger and Angeldal anchoring the midfield, being the team’s pendulum. Seger will drop deep and play the anchorman role while Angeldal will push up and play a high pressing role to support Asllani. The whole system is predicated around their off-the-ball work that allows them to counter-attack higher up the pitch. 

This is where Asllani’s role comes into play. Essentially, she’s deployed to deny space and time for the single pivot and/or central defender to play out from the back by cover-shadowing and man-marking both players. By stepping onto the toes of the defensive midfielder, Asllani blocks most team’s main source of build-up which means they either have to go direct or use the full-backs. 

With both Jakobsson and Rolfö positioned high up, this forces the opposition to play quicker and force a misplaced pass. Angeldal will press from behind to add an extra layer of pressure.

Sweden were excellent at keeping their structure disciplined and compact to ensure the system worked. The ball here is initially played by Alyssa Naeher to Becky Sauerbrunn, but pressure from Blackstenius and Asllani forced the ball out to Crystal Dunn at left-back. 

Dunn is left with no options down the line and passes back to the her centre-back forcing the US to start again. Because of the constant movement by Asllani between the lines to block the passing lane to Lindsey Horan as well as the pressing of the US captain, it meant that Sauerbrunn was left with no other option but to play it back to Dunn. 

Enter Sweden’s pressing trap, where the left-back is now closed down by Jakobsson with Asllani making the final interception before setting Sweden into a swift counter-attack. The team’s ability to work in unison and tandem is proof of Gerhardsson’s tactics working. He managed to nullify the USWNT’s central output and pressure their defenders into trying something unorthodox. Asllani’s impact on the game was felt throughout and greatly contributed to their 3-0 win.

Again, Asllani here blocks the passing lanes to Australia’s pivot player whilst pressing the centre-back. Though the ball goes wide and forward, the Australian full-back has to play it back centrally and they attempt to build out from the back again. Asllani forces an interception and almost initiates another counter-attack for Sweden.

Asllani’s role isn’t limited to being a forward defensive screen as she also plays an important role in Sweden’s attacking tactics. The central attacking midfielder roams between the lines in attacking situations, often situated slightly deeper when Sweden are on the ball to receive and construct the first phase of attack in the middle third. The centre-backs want to find Asllani in pockets of space where she can turn and spray passes quickly. This deeper positioning and movement serves two purposes.

The first is Asllani’s deeper position means the central pivot or double-pivot needs to converge on the Swedish playmaker, and this frees up space for the wingers to attack. If the full-back is in range, it prompts a 2 v 1 overload from Asllani’s through ball. It says something about her dual role: Asllani is second for most chances created for Sweden this tournament, with nine behind Jakobsson (10).

Asllani isn’t a super technical passer nor a creative genius, but her footballing IQ and positional awareness enhance the position, especially in situations requiring quick decisions to thread passes to carve open defensive lines. Take the first-round game against USWNT – Asllani and Sweden took advantage of Sam Mewis’s and Rose Lavelle’s positioning in the first half by positioning between the two ‘8s’ and Horan as seen above. Her intelligence to take advantage of the unorthodox single pivot in Horan meant Asllani could control the space between the lines.

By looking at this example, we see how Sweden are in their compact, disciplined shape and intercept Abby Dahlkemper’s pass which Blackstenius pounces on. Asllani receives the initial pass and is in space to control the American defenders in this counter-attack. The Swede slots in a quick pass in the path of Jakobsson off the right.

The Swedes face a tough test in the Canadians, fighting for first place on the podium, but they will still be the favourites to go all the way. Specialists in football have become a rare commodity and having multi-faceted players instead becomes a necessity. Asllani has been the unsung hero as the front three have turned Sweden into an unstoppable juggernaut, and only gold seems fitting for the almost flawless tactical role she’s played all tournament.

Photo by Maja Hitij/Getty Images