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The goals will come

June 10th, 2006 | By: Jon | 6 Comments »

I think it’s important to focus on a couple of positives that came from today’s match when it comes to our play: It’s NOT all doom and gloom. We did play good attacking football. In fact we created so many chances that we could have scored five or six goals. The trouble is, we didn’t!

Henke Larsson looked sharp and had a number of good shots. I’m sure he’ll get off the mark soon. Even Zlatan, who has struggled with his form of late, actually looked up for the match and came very close to scoring on several occasions only for Trinidad and Tobago’s keeper Shaka Hislop to deny him with a number of fine saves.

Freddie Ljungberg was also really dangerous inside the box and down the wing, and came close to scoring late in the match. But I do get a bit fed up with Freddie arguing with the referee all the time. I just wish he’d not constantly go looking for the free-kick. I suspect he’d go down in the box if he saw a feather. Then again, Freddie was up for the fight and his aggression caused lots of problems in and around the Trinidad box, so respect should be given where its due.

Chippen (Christian Wilhelmsson), sporting the kind of dodgy haircut any 80s synthpopster would have been proud of, had a good match and caused problems down the wing. Like most of the midfield, he had a couple of good chances but the best of these, a stinging shot, was frustratingly hit straight at Trinidad and Tobago’s keeper Shaka Hislop.

Kim Källström also made a huge impression in the final quarter of the match, once he got on. Lagerbäck needs to realise he gives us more options going forward: he gets the ball quickly up to Ljungberg, Zlatan and Larsson and can play the through ball with much more pace than Anders Svensson. He’s also much more attacking-minded than Svensson, who, despite playing quite well in the first half, just looked one yard short of the pace for most of the match and really put his foot in in midfield when it was necessary.

So despite the result, there are some positive things in today’s performance. There are signs that we can score a goal in this tournament. One goal and the floodgates will open up.

Tags: attacking-football, källström, Sweden, Zlatan

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Comments

By Nate | June 11th, 2006 at 12:40 am

Lagerback seriously needs to get over his lovefest with Anders Svensson and start Kallstrom. It’s ridiculous. Am I the only one who see’s that? Kim is twice the player Svensson is, if he played 90 minutes today instead of 10 Sweden would have scored AT LEAST 2 goals.

Posted from United States

By Cajun Nick | June 11th, 2006 at 12:59 am

Hear, Hear, Nate! Kallstrom needs to be in the starting XI.

Hislop had a great match, but will he be able to repeat it against England? I don’t think so. (I doubt that Beenhakker could realistically put Jack between the pipes, even if he is fit now.)

That means that Sweden need to be prepared that England will do what Sweden failed to do - score and win.

In anticipation of that, Sweden need to put the best playmakers out on the field against Paraguay to get the full 3 points. Kallstrom is a better playmaker and integrates himself in the attack better than Svensson.

Posted from United States

By Northon | June 11th, 2006 at 3:31 am

Yeah Kallstrom is much much better, why would Lyon even bother to get him if hes rubbish, Lagerback needs to look further than hes little stupid book or whatever he has.

Posted from Belgium

By counter-clockwork orange | June 11th, 2006 at 5:00 am

Larsson dissapeared in the last half of the match!…he really needs to be back in shape, and aim a bit better just like Zlatan. Captain Mellberg is back with a vengeance, Aston Villa? nevermind that! look at the captain of the swedes, he is a freaking wall back there. Sweden will do much better against England and Paraguay.

Posted from Colombia

By Jon | June 11th, 2006 at 7:50 am

Källström must start. It was obvious from the moment he came on that here’s a player destined for the world stage. He fought so hard in midfield and was much more effective going forward.

He made it very clear he was fed up with being benched in the postmatch press talks. Lagerbäck is receiving considerable criticism in Sweden for not using him from the beginning.

Expect him to start on Thursday.

Posted from Sweden

By Nate | June 11th, 2006 at 8:00 am

Great to hear that Kallstrom will start on Thursday. I also liked the post game attitude from the Swedish players/coaches. They knew the tie was unaccetable, but took it and are labeling thursday a must win. Now speaking of the Paraguay game, I agree that it is close to a must win. However, a tie would not be a terrible result, either. I am anticipating England to beat TNT, and if Sweden-Paraguay tie (I consider a tie to be worst case scenario), England will have 6 points, Sweden 2 points, and TNT and Paraguay 1 point going into the last match day. Obviously, this means England will have the group won already… and be very likely to rest many of their good players. England will be unexcited, while Sweden will view it as a must win. It will not be a full English team in personell or in mindset, which bodes well for the Swedes. However, I just prefer to come outta the gate on Thursday and beat the tar out of Paraguay.

Posted from United States

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