WORLD CUP 2006
Sweden
Introduction
|
Sweden travel to Germany with a bagful of questions. Will the team finally be able to bridge the gap between honourable mention and ultimate World Cup success? Can they get the most from the exceptional talents of star forwards Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Henrik Larsson? Is there enough strength in depth in the squad?
What is certain is that the party mood, prompted by the qualifying success, has gone flat. Performances in recent friendlies have done anything but boost confidence, and several key players have either been struggling with injuries or have lost form.
Even coach Lars Lagerback, certainly not the most emotional of men, was heard muttering in disgust as Sweden were routed 3-0 by the Republic of Ireland in a March 1 warm-up game.
Unusually, one of the biggest concerns is about the defence. Sweden have a proud tradition of producing classy defenders, from Orvar Bergmark and Bjorn Nordqvist to Glenn Hysen, Roland Nilsson and Patrik Andersson. Now, all of a sudden, Lagerback is left trying to decide just who his first-choice back four should be.
Captain and stopper Olof Mellberg has had injury problems, and when he has played recently, he has found his leadership qualities called into question. ”Mellberg looked fine when he was just another brick in the wall. But now that he tries to think for the rearguard as a whole, his limitations are too obvious,” wrote a columnist in the Dagens Nyheter newspaper.
Sweden’s ability to hold their defensive shape even under heavy bombardment has been a key to their success over the years. But not even the flamboyant skills of Ibrahimovic will be enough to save the team if cracks begin to appear in the defensive wall.
The Swedes still have great team spirit and togetherness, with good communication between coach and players given the utmost importance. There is a real love of planning and discussion in the camp, with everyone invited to have his say. It is an old joke that if a major disaster were to hit the Earth tomorrow, others would run and hide, but the Swedes would form a committee.
While the fans have been calling for a more adventurous approach in matches, Lagerback is certain not to accede. He knows his team inside out and is aware of their strong points. In a recent interview he admitted that, man for man, group adversaries England and Paraguay are probably better, but added: ”We will compensate for that with other measures.” No prizes for guessing that he meant teamwork and unity.
And at least at this World Cup the Swedes will have no problems with acclimatisation or cultural differences. The area of Bremen in
northern Germany where the squad will be based is really quite similar to Sweden. Indeed, the Swedes may never again play World Cup football so close to home.
Back to World Cup Index
Newsletter
