Lina Hurtig considers VAR penalty tattoo if Sweden win World Cup
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
Alyssa Naeher of the US attempts to save a penalty from Sweden's Lina Hurtig during the penalty shoot-out.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Follow topic:
AUCKLAND – Sweden’s Lina Hurtig might immortalise her winning penalty in the shoot-out against the United States with a tattoo, but only if her country wins the Women’s World Cup, she said in Auckland on Tuesday as the team prepared for their quarter-final with Japan.
The 27-year-old Arsenal winger came off the bench in the 81st minute of the last-16 clash last Sunday, and got her moment of glory when she struck the seventh penalty in a wild shoot-out that saw the Swedes on the brink of elimination before coming from behind to win 5-4.
American goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher got both hands to Hurtig’s spot kick but the ball made it over the line by a matter of millimetres and a VAR (video assistant referee) image released by Fifa showing that it was a shade over the line quickly went viral.
“It’s just how everything went,” Hurtig told reporters ahead of Sweden’s last-eight clash with the Japanese.
“That picture afterwards, it was so crazy. It’s so crazy that we went through on that (penalty).”
She added in a later interview with Swedish radio: “The (VAR) picture I’ve seen a lot, the penalty not so much. I don’t want to see it again, I get a little pain in my stomach actually, there’s so many feelings that come up when I see it.”
Reactions from home have ranged from congratulations to suggestions that she get a tattoo of the viral image.
“I’ve said that we have to beat Japan now, otherwise it’s all for nothing,” Hurtig said.
“But if we win gold it’s not impossible.”
Also on Tuesday, the team’s football psychologist Rasmus Liljeblad shared an insight of how it is important to “narrow your focus” when taking penalties.
“Be clear and determined about what you have to do and then when you are there that you take a little care of the challenge of beating it too quickly,” he said.
“Because that is above all the big part, that you beat it too quickly and just want it to be over.”
Sweden, who have appeared at all nine World Cup tournaments but have never won one, will ideally hope that another shoot-out is not on the cards when they meet 2011 champions Japan at Auckland’s Eden Park on Friday. REUTERS
