sweden up and running with opening victory published: tuesday 28 june 2011, 17.45cet
jessica landström's second-half strike earned sweden victory in a hard-fought opening fifa women's world cup group c match against colombia in leverkusen.
jessica landström scored the only goal as sweden kicked off their fifa women's world cup campaign with a 1-0 victory against colombia.
sweden dominated throughout in leverkusen but for a while it did not look like being their day as they squandered chance after chance. lotta schelin and landström were both guilty of misses after half-time before redeeming themselves with the only goal on 57 minutes, the former's low cross finding her strike partner almost on the goal line.
thomas dennerby's side would have been ahead on three minutes but for a last-ditch intervention from natalia gaitan. colombia's captain came to the rescue again moments later after caroline seger found uefa women's champions league winner schelin in the box.
the south american team held on but had little answer at the beginning of the second period as sweden ratcheted up the pressure. schelin watched one effort drift agonisingly across the face of goal having seemingly done the hard work and then landström lost her composure with only the goalkeeper to beat.
she swiftly made amends, giving sweden a lead which, for all colombia's endeavour, the former european champions were never likely to lose. they continue their group c campaign against north korea on 2 july when colombia face the united states.
