Sweden join France and Germany at Olympics

Sweden have kept up their record of qualifying for every women's Olympic football tournament alongside Brazil and the United States after winning a mini-tournament in the Netherlands to decide Europe's third and final place in Brazil this August.

Taking on the other UEFA member countries that exited the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in the round of 16, Sweden beat Norway and Switzerland 1-0 before confirming top spot with a 1-1 draw against the Dutch hosts, who will also stage UEFA Women's EURO 2017, which will now provide their next competitive football. Switzerland edged 2000 Olympic gold medallists Norway 2-1 on the last day to take third position behind the Netherlands.

FINAL STANDINGS
1 Sweden 7 points
2 Netherlands 4 points
3 Switzerland 3 points
4 Norway 3 points

2016 Olympic tournament contenders
Brazil (hosts), United States (holders), Australia, Canada, China, Colombia, France, Germany, New Zealand, South Africa, Sweden, Zimbabwe

Draw: 15.30CET, 14 April at the Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro
Matches: 3–19 August

RESULTS
Wednesday 9 March
Netherlands 1-1 Sweden (Miedema 5; Schough 45)
Stadium Sparta-Het Kasteel, Rotterdam
Netherlands: Van Veenendaal, Van Lunteren, Zeeman (Kerkdijk 46), Van den Berg, Janssen (Middag 86), Dekker, Van de Donk, Spitse, Melis (Slegers 68), Miedema, Van de Sanden.
Unused substitutes: Geurts, Van Dongen, Groenen, Bakker.
Sweden: Lindahl, Samuelsson, Fischer, Sembrant, Rubensson, Appelqvist, Dahlqvist, Seger, Jakobsson, Schough (Berglund 83), Schelin (Blackstenius 57).
Unusued substitutes: Carlén, Rolfo, Hammarlund, Johansson, Andersson.

Switzerland 2-1 Norway (Mauron 32, Kiwic 90+3; Hansen 10)
Woudestein Stadium, Rotterdam
Switzerland: Michel, Mauron (Moser 60), Rinast, Maritz, Kuster, Wälti, Bachmann, Dickenmann, Abbé (Kiwic 66), Aigbogun, Terchoun (Calligaris 72).
Unusued substitutes: Friedli, Betschart, Humm, Deplazes.
Norway: Fiskerstrand, Moe Wold, Lund, Holsyad Berge, Thorsnes, Minde, Mjelde, Rønning (Stensland 41), Haavi (Herlovsen 57), Hegerberg, Hansen (Mykjåland 64).
Unusued substitutes: Nøstmo, Stolsmo Hegerberg, Utland, Jensen.

Saturday 5 March
Norway 4-1 Netherlands (Haavi 30, Mjelde 61, Hegerberg 82 90+1; Melis 67)
Stadium Sparta-Het Kasteel, Rotterdam
Norway: Fiskerstrand, Wold, Lund, Mjelde, Rønning (Stensland 68), Hansen (Mykjåland 85), Holstad Berge, Thorsnes, Minde, Haavi (Herlovsen 75), Hegerberg.
Unused substitutes: Nøstmo, Stolsmo Hegerberg, Utland, Hansen.
Netherlands: Van Veenendaal, Van den Berg, Janssen, Dekker, Melis, Zeeman, Miedema, Van de Donk, Van Lunteren, Kerkdijk (Slegers 70), Groenen (Van de Sanden 46).
Unused substitutes: Geurts, Van Es, Van Dongen, Bakker.

Caroline Seger, Lotta Schelin, Olivia Schough and Nilla Fischer all played their part for Sweden©Boris Kharchenko

Sweden 1-0 Switzerland
Woudestein Stadium, Rotterdam (Seger 44)
Sweden: Lindahl, Sembrant, Berglund, Eriksson, Dahlkvist, Schelin, Jakobsson (Fischer 84), Johansson (Blackstenius 46), Samuelsson, Seger, Schough.
Unused substitutes: Carlén, Nilsson, Rolfo, Hammarlund, Appelqvist.
Switzerland: Maritz, Zehnder (Bernauer 46), Wälti, Bachann, Dickenmann, Michel, Crnogorčević, Kiwic, Abbé, Humm (Ismaili 72), Terchoun (Aigbogun 46).
Unused substitutes: Rinast, Kuster, Moser, Friedli.

Wednesday 2 March
Norway 0-1 Sweden (Dahlkvist 3)
Woudestein Stadium, Rotterdam
Norway: Fiskerstrand; Wold, Lund, Berge, Thorsnes; Minde, Mjelde, Rønning (Mykjåland 61), Haavi (Herlovsen 65); Hegerberg, Hansen.
Unused substitutes: Nøstmo, Tofte Ims, Stensland, Reinås, Stolsmo Hegerberg.
Sweden: Lindahl; Rubensson (Nilsson 90+1), Fischer, Sembrant, Ericsson; Appelqvist, Dahlkvist, Seger; Jakobsson (Berglund 83), Schelin, Schough (Hammarlund 61).
Unused substitutes: Carlén, Blackstenius, Johansson, Rolfö.

The Netherlands beat Switzerland©KNVB

Switzerland 3-4 Netherlands (Humm 4, Kiwic 74, Bachmann 83; Melis 29pen, Miedema 56, Van der Berg 61, Van de Sanden 63)
ADO Den Haag, the Hague
Switzerland: Michel, Maritz, Moser (Zehnder 71), Wälti, Bachmann, Dickenman, Crnogorčević, Kiwic, Abbé, Humm (Aigbogun 71), Bernauer (Terchoun 63).
Unused substitutes: Friedli, Mauron, Rinast, Kuster.
Netherlands: Van Veenendaal, Van Es, Van den Berg, Janssen, Dekker, Melis (Bakker 76), Spitse, Miedema, Van de Donk, Kerkdijk, Groenen (Van de Sanden 60).
Unused substitutes: Geurts, Van Lunteren, Van Dongen, Zeeman, Slegers.

Why the play-offs were required
UEFA has three Olympic slots, decided by performances at the FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada. Fourth-placed Germany and quarter-finalists France booked their Brazil campaigns but the best World Cup performers, bronze medallists England, do not enter Olympic football.

Therefore the four UEFA nations eliminated in the World Cup round of 16 played off for the remaining berth. UEFA appointed UEFA Women's EURO 2017 hosts Netherlands to hold the event.

All matches were played at Rotterdam's Woudestein and Sparta Stadiums, with the exception of one game in The Hague. Stadium Sparta, better known as Het Kasteel, is a UEFA Women's EURO 2017 venue.

Past Olympic medallists
2012: United States (gold), Japan (silver), Canada (bronze); London, United Kingdom
2008: United States (gold), Brazil (silver), Germany (bronze); Beijing, China
2004: United States (gold), Brazil (silver), Germany (bronze); Athens, Greece
2000: Norway (gold), United States (silver), Germany (bronze); Sydney, Australia
1996: United States (gold), China (silver), Norway (bronze); Atlanta, United States