Girona. The first to be praised by the captain of the national team, Jan Andersson.
Then by Emil Forsberg. Then Samuel Gustafson responded in kind.
– The junior says that playing with players like Emil Forsberg is what I play football for.
The mortal love of soccer around some of the players after Sweden’s shock 2-1 victory was almost touching.
First said the captain of the national team Jan Anderson On debutante Samuel Gustafson:
– It was an incomparable debut. Didn’t go wrong there.
Shortly afterwards, Emil Forsberg came out of the mixed zone and paid tribute to Isaac Henn and the debuting Emil Holm and Samuel Gustafsson.
Samuel came in and had a great performance in his first match. He’s always a bit nervous, but I think he just calmed down and tried to play his game. It was fun to see, says Forsberg.
Didn’t Samuel look more relaxed when I entered the field?
– We’re two players, right…? He wants to put others in a good position and that’s positive. It was fun to play with him.
Do you want to play with him on Saturday night (against Algeria in Malmö)?
– it’s clear. He made a very positive impression. He looked very relaxed, says Emil Forsberg.
Samuel Gustafson:
– It’s nice to praise Jan. I think we play a good game as a team. If teamwork works, it becomes easier for the individual. It was fun being a part of it.
– I felt like a well-oiled machine entered.
What is the difference between how Häcken plays and the national team?
– We play with three in the middle, and make a directed mark with higher pressure. In the national team, it’s a positional defense in a 4-4-2 where we lie down, move around and care less about what the opposition does, but more about the inside distances. It’s different but the players helped me so it felt completely normal.
The hedge midfielder and SM gold winner has been ranked in several lists as the best player in Allsvenskan in 2022. But he believes he still has a long way to go to become one of the national team’s biggest stars.
Did you look relaxed when Forsberg came in?
– Yes, it’s as good as anything. I told him that too, “I’m just trying to keep up,” says Samuel Gustafson.
– If I were to break it down to the core, that’s what you play for, to be able to play with these guys. He makes me better by being as good as he is. It was crazy fun.
He said pretty much the same things about you…
No, no, I’m not quite at that level, yet. I’m working hard, Gustafsson says.