Wales v Sweden player ratings: One 9 and four 8s as Cymru record huge draw

Wales secured a landmark 1-1 draw against Sweden at the Racecourse Ground in their second game in the Nations League.

Having gone a goal down in the first half, Wales responded well and were able to snatch a point through Kayleigh Barton’s penalty with 15 minutes to go.

Here’s how we rate the performance of every Welsh player who stepped out onto the pitch in Wrexham on Tuesday night.

Wales player ratings vs Sweden

Olivia Clark: 7/10

There will be questions over if she could have done better with the goal, but she recovered well from it. She was very quick off her line, made angles tight for any Swedish player, and was excellent when coming out from corners.

Josie Green: 8/10

It takes a special player to come in when required and put in top performance after top performance, but that’s what Green does. She acted as a tremendous sweeper and helped clean up anything that could have caused problems for Clark.

Hayley Ladd: 8/10

Ladd in midfield is a must from now on. Simple as that. Her reading of the game is insane, and she acts as a quarterback in this team. Her tackling ability is second to none, and we really are seeing the best of Ladd in this new system.

Gemma Evans: 8/10

Evans was another who did superbly. Yes, she made last ditch tackles and never gave Swedish attackers a moment’s peace, but she came across to help Powell brilliantly to contain the Swedish pressure down the flank. Evans could well be the first name on the team sheet.

Charlie Estcourt: 5/10

Was too keen to mark Matilda Vinberg tightly, and that was a factor in how Wales conceded the goal. Did cover the box well when she had to, but not Estcourt’s best showing last night unfortunately. Subbed off at half time.

Wales 1-1 Sweden: Cymru claim priceless point as Kayleigh Barton shows her nerve

Angharad James: 7/10

This was James’ best game in a Wales shirt for a while. Having Ladd next to her is allowing her to have more freedom in the midfield, and you saw that last night. She was great at getting to second balls, performing great little turns, and linked up well with teammates.

Lois Joel: 5/10

The Newcastle United midfielder played in a more shadow striker role on Tuesday night, often playing with Barton up top. She did win a couple of knock downs, and she tracked back well to defend, but couldn’t quite get her foot in the game enough. Subbed off at half time.

Ella Powell: 7/10

In the early stages, Johanna Rytting Kaneryd certainly had the better of her, but as the game wore on, Powell grew into it. She could read Kaneryd more and more, and she got back expertly to make a vital interception. Subbed off 68^th minute.

Rhian Wilkinson commented: “I started Ella and Charlie, and both were up against strong opponents, and they both stuck to it.

“It wasn’t perfect, and I don’t expect perfection from any of my players. Ella was allowed to build in because I took Charlie off at the half, but those who played at full back did well and it was good to see connections building.”

Ceri Holland: 8/10

Holland had a quiet first half but came out like a player reborn in the second. The way she took players on, the way she was able to twist one way and then the other to exploit pockets of space, she was mesmeric to watch in that second half.

Ceri Holland commented: “We potentially had the chances to win the game, so from that point of view maybe we’re a little frustrated. However, this is a really positive result. We’ve shown that we can compete with the best in the world and for us as a squad it’s a proud and massive moment.”

Kayleigh Barton: 9/10

Outstanding. Barton is a whole different kind of striker under Wilkinson. There’s obviously still that physical edge, but she makes quick turns, has bursts of pace that defenders can’t handle, deft touches to get into space. It’s like she’s unlocked a whole new skillset under this manager, and she is such an asset to this country. Subbed off 82^nd minute.

Rhian Wilkinson commented: “Kayleigh and I have had some hard conversations. This is a woman who wants to give everything for Wales every time she has the opportunity to. We’re starting to see that, in order to have success, you have to use your whole squad. If I’m not using them, then what are we doing?”

Carrie Jones: 6/10

Jones was certainly more effective against Sweden than she was against Italy. She wasn’t afraid to run directly at her marker, and that caused the Swedes plenty of headaches. Jones also came back well to help Powell contain Rytting Kaneryd. Subbed of at half time.

Jess Fishlock: 6/10

Subbed on at half time. Came on you could see her quality straight away. Was that key cog between the midfield and the attack, made some great passes, and was so close to scoring a winning goal in the final ten minutes.

Rhiannon Roberts: 6/10

Subbed on at half time. Gave Vinberg absolutely no joy down the right and, while she wasn’t pushing forward as much as Estcourt, she held everything down defensively for Wales.

Hannah Cain: 6/10

Subbed on at half time. This was a better game for Cain. With having someone like Barton leading the line, it allowed the Leicester forward to do what she does best; run into space to try and create something for others.

Lily Woodham: 6/10

Subbed on 68^th minute. Came in to replace Powell and picked up where she left off. Against someone like Rytting Kaneryd, who is having a superb season in the WSL, she never gave her a sniff. So much so, the Chelsea winger had to be subbed off.

Elise Hughes: N/A

Subbed on 82^nd minute. Not on long enough to make an impact, but what a joy it was to see her back in a Wales shirt once again.

Rhian Wilkinson: 7/10

There was a worry at some point in the first half that Wilkinson may have tinkered a little too much with this side, but she utilised her bench really well and the decision to start with a striker like Barton was an inspired one.

Rhian Wilkinson commented: “I want to congratulate my entire squad. These games don’t happen by accident, and they take so much effort, work, and pain. There were big moments in time where Sweden were all over us, but we had moments, and that’s what we do.

A big tie for us, but equally, I hope no one saw the team over-celebrating, because these women deserve to be there. They’ve earned the right to compete against the best in the world.”

(Featured Image: Ashley Crowden/FAW)