They weren’t here to entertain, they weren’t here to shine, and they – the gubevars – weren’t here to prepare for the World Cup in Qatar.
Sweden was in Spain to win a soccer game, and they did.
Here’s how they can do that, too.
Tata Martino had drawn the finishing touches to his line-up, rotating his squad in anticipation of clashing with his old pupil Lionel Messi in an intense World Cup situation.
And Sweden? What did we do in Girona?
That’s where 2022 ends up, with everything, more than anything, feeling like a no-stakes, no-stars kind of soccer practice, without any of the things that soccer normally carries with sense. Sweden vs Mexico, welcome to the November round.
The job of those of us watching has largely revolved around turning our gaze to understand what we can expect. For those who played, after a hundred rejections, it was very clear early on what the mission was. Janne Andersson wants to go back to the future: Marcus Rodin There on the right again? As was the case in Anderson’s first match, against the Netherlands, six years earlier. Four central midfielders, Victor Geocris and Anthony Elanga up front. Too low, waiting for a defensive play in consecutive 4-4-2 blocks.
What did Sweden really want?
Like stoke away in february
First, they didn’t want to lose or leak targets, that was obvious. All energy was put into a right defence, when Sweden was building the attacks themselves it became very clear that there was no synchronicity and no great ambition. Take a player like Emil Holm, whose main quality has always been that he’s a steam engine when he’s moving forward – now he’ll devote 90% of his thinking power to not getting lost, and the rest was mostly reward.
It was understandable, and it wasn’t funny – like the 2022 national team photo.
Victor Nelson Lindelof and Isak Heijn handled the slip as if they were facing Stoke away in February, Elanga had a foray into the dribbling in the penalty area giving Matthias Svanberg a great position, Svanberg himself got the ball out twice in good fashion, Joukris Joukris had Samuel Gustafsson and Slet had Eye and composure here too (but rarely asked for the ball).
That was it. It took twelve minutes before Sweden took the lead for the first time and pressed, with a solo run from Rohden against goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa’s phenomenon. It took half an hour before Sweden took the lead for the first time in something like solid attacking play. Hector Herrera was allowed to control the play as little as he wanted from the central Mexican central, without it leading to much. Ludwig Augustinsson had Autostrada as a fifth midfielder, but it’s been a long time since he used that mandate in a way that fulfilled his old promises.
If anything, this will likely be a photo of the entire 2022 national team.
They’ve been marked more by missing than by playing, and now we’re in November and all they want is to stick together enough to score well in a friendly against Mexico, and perhaps see something on the cusp of a different kind of future. It was a competently executed match, given the circumstances, eleven ND doing their day job. I understand that Janne Andersson wanted to see it, and he’s not really in a position to try and joke about it at the moment.
Tata Martino managed to replace Chucky Lozano and Raul Jimenez during the break. Anderson could not replace Diane Kulusevski and Alexander Isaac.
was remarkable.
Mexico immediately increased its pace, becoming more intense and dangerous. Luis Chavez hit the post, seconds later Matthias Svanberg stepped forward, played – and then Marcus Rodin managed to run the ball into the goal.
When he is He came to Sweden and won again
The symbolic value was there. Six years ago, a new national team captain plastered his face with a bark bread fairy that made its way to a point against the Netherlands and began the new national team’s honeymoon. Rohdén started at the time, a runner and runner who needed Google so he could show off something that shines and seduces. In 2022 he returned and scored goals.
In a way that was a reminder, right? On the other side are super talents, offensive balance, three test linebackers, and attempts to become the All-Stars something more Than I was: that’s how you can also play soccer. Order, order and security as it appears with Samuel Gustafsson and (for the first time in a long time) Matthias Svanberg. Midfielders who do their part, good keeper, let Mexico come and Sweden can stand there with their organization and patience.
Hector Herrera made a dream come true for Alexis Vega who scored to make it 1-1, but in the end it was Svanberg who collected a second ball after a corner kick and went wide for the score 2-1.
Only recently have Swedish football been on fire, and a 3-0 against Mexico in the World Cup secured a place in the play-offs, and two days later, Emil Forsberg propelled them to the quarter-finals.
Now Sweden is far from the restroom, far from everything. Forsberg sat on the bench, but when he eventually came on, Sweden won the match again.
It wasn’t an answer to much, but to a question about something basic:
Eyes on the ball, regularity in day-to-day work, organization and defense – maybe that’s not such a bad foundation to stand on, after all?