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Vivianne Miedema, here in Dutch national dress, is the all-time top scorer in the English Women's Super League
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IMAGO/ProShots
Kosovare Asslani was still rubbing her rear leg muscles, she had been on the ground for a few seconds after a foul and could only watch in amazement as Netherlands attacker Vivianne Miedema ran away on the left flank.
The striker pulled towards goal and played a sharp, accurate pass into the box, which her team-mate was unable to convert.
Number nine against number nine (in the respective national languages: number Nio meets number Negen) - that was the duel that evening, even if attackers almost never come into a direct duel.
Their natural habitats and their play orientations actually ensure that they don't run into each other.
And yet Sweden's number 9, Asllani, and Netherlands' Miedema were in focus.
Both are the biggest stars in their teams and both played a stronger half and a weaker half - the game then also ended 1-1.
"We forced them to play long balls," said Sweden national coach Peter Gerhardsson after the game.
»Kosovare Asslani pressed very well.
But then you still have one problem that remains: Miedema.' She was so full of skills that she had to be duplicated, he said.
This was often successful, but not always.
"It was a very difficult game."
Sweden versus the Netherlands, that was the duel in the semi-finals of the 2019 World Cup in France.
It was a weak game then, Miedema remained goalless, hitting the crossbar with a header.
Asllani was also unable to contribute a goal.
The Netherlands finally prevailed in extra time - but had no chance against the USA in the final.
Miedema: gates, gates, gates
Miedema scored three goals at the World Cup - fewer than expected.
Since then, however, she has scored almost at will with her club Arsenal in the Women's Super League.
In December 2019 she had six goals and four assists in one game and last autumn she scored Arsenal's 100th goal in all competitions.
In the past season she scored 14 times in the league, in the previous seasons 16 and 18 times.
She is the league's all-time top scorer.
The game initially went past Miedema against Sweden – and when she had the ball, there was no getting away from it.
Sometimes a Swede coaxed the ball from her when she was about to shoot (15'), sometimes she failed to accept it (19').
And once she did, it was safe.
"Sweden have a lot of quality on the defensive," said Miedema after the game: "If you look at our first twenty minutes, we can be very proud to have taken a point at all."
After the break, however, she became stronger: Miedema prepared Jill Roord's equalizer, which is well worth seeing, when she passed the ball over the touchline and thus let her opponent run into the void.
Shortly thereafter, she put the goal scorer on, albeit with a Swede as a gang (52nd).
She also brilliantly prepared her own conclusion, when she faked with her back to the opponent in one direction, but turned out the other side, only the shot was then quite pathetic.
Her action just before the end, when she blocked the goal kick of the Swedish goalkeeper (without consequences), was also cheeky.
Asllani: Olympic silver and real criticism
Asllani had had a mixed time since the 2019 World Cup game.
A highlight was definitely the silver medal she won with Sweden at the Summer Olympics last year.
During the tournament she celebrated her 150th international match.
In the final, she had prepared her team's lead - but missed her attempt on penalties.
Recently she has been struggling with injuries, has not played all the games for her club Real Madrid and has only scored three goals in the league and only two in the Champions League.
She caused a stir when she sharply criticized Real shortly before the tournament when she said goodbye – she was moving to AC Milan.
The club, she told the SportExpressen newspaper, was in the wrong hands.
"I think there is a culture in the club that is not healthy for the players." And she also specified her allegations.
"I was almost forced to play injured and I didn't get any help." Real has not yet commented on the allegations.
Asllani's game against Sweden was almost exactly the opposite of Miedema's.
She made a strong start, took a dangerous free-kick and had a very good chance to score, but she put it on the side netting.
And she prepared Jonna Andersson to make it 1-0 with a dribble – including a tunnel against her opponent.
But the longer the game lasted, the fewer balls she got.
Again and again she threw her arms in the air, talked to her opponents, tried to get in touch with national coach Gerhardsson.
Once she had the ball, she hardly radiated the danger of the early phase, her flanks and corners remained harmless, a shot on goal was too lax.
After the game she had to go to the doping control and could no longer talk about the game.
Miedema spoke for it: She felt no pressure to carry the whole team, she said after the game, her role in the team hadn't changed much in recent years.
She'd played a little differently today, not as the foremost striker, but a little further back.
A role that she also knows from her club Arsenal and that she enjoyed.
"I can play both and do what the coach tells me," says Miedema.
But one thing bothered her: "Even if it was a bit too much running."