Scouting report in Sweden: Granqvist and Forsberg in the lead | David Hytner | Soccer



[ad_1]

Granqvist leads the defensive wall

Janne Andersson built this team on robust defensive principles and the most obvious thing to note is how they compress space, leaving virtually nothing between the lines . Sweden defends itself with the 11 players and they are happy to yield possession to the opposition, working to break the attacks and wait to knock on the counter.

They believe that England could be vulnerable in areas behind their offensive wings. , Kieran Trippier and Ashley Young. The words of order are organization, discipline and physicality and Andersson 's team has been shown to be extremely difficult to count down. The head statistic shows that they kept clean sheets in three of their four games until here and only Germany – in the second group game – created a decent number of chances against them .

The last two games of Sweden – against Mexico and, in the last 16, Switzerland – have been almost perfect in the execution of their game plan. Both teams were restricted and the impression was that they were colliding with a yellow wall. Sweden has also been able to go out to threaten at the other end. Andreas Granqvist is the defensive leader and cult hero; A muscular presence in the heart of the back 4.

Berg's lack of goals difficult to pbad

When Marcus Berg sprinted to the goal early in the match against Switzerland, played by the film Ola Toivonen it seemed like it would be his moment. But the attacker seized the opportunity and grotesquely cut it wide. He summarized how his finishing skills have deserted him and it is clear that his confidence in front of goal is weak. Andersson said what all managers say when their attackers miss their target – he is thrilled with Berg's full play and the way he works for the team. But the attackers are judged on goals. Berg's difficulties speak to a wider picture because – apart from the game of Mexico – lack of sharpness has been a problem. On the positive side, Sweden creates chances; witness the handful of good they dug in the first half against Switzerland.

Forsberg the Dangerman

In the post-Zlatan landscape, much was said about how the Andersson team is one in the true sense of the word – with a absence of ego and star names. Emil Forsberg is the closest that Sweden has made a big noise, although he is not one to shout the odds. The attacking midfielder RB Leipzig is known for his humility. Forsberg is a charming player to watch when he is on his court because he was against Switzerland and, in many ways, he is going against the grain in this strong and professional team. Playing on the left side in Andersson's 4-4-2 system, Forsberg is blessed with a touch of velvet and good technique, which means that he is happy to receive the ball in tight areas and , invariably, moves his team positively from them. It did not work steadily during the group stage, glittering rather than pulling, but the way it stepped up in the last 16 bode well. Forsberg is the Swedish player who brings the fantasy to this team

Attention to the pbadion killers in Samara

The manager of Switzerland, Vladimir Petkovic, was under fire at the post-match press conference and he had trouble explaining why his team had played with so little rhythm or pbadion. He sought to deflect blame from his own players and highlight what Sweden had done. Petkovic felt that their patient approach had served to lower the temperature and make it impossible for his team to generate any traction, any aggression or conduct. "I've seen Sweden's other games and all of its opponents struggled to develop those emotions against them," Petkovic said. Germany managed to summon the intensity against them in the second half – perhaps, in desperation, in the face of the elimination of the tournament – but Petkovic's point was solid. Sweden has largely succeeded in neutralizing its adversaries; Lack of experience at the level of the elite

It's the first World Cup in Sweden since 2006, so it's not a big surprise that this is a first final for each member of the Andersson team. What is striking is the relatively modest levels at which they play their national football. Victor Lindelöf, the center-middle of Manchester United, is the only player in an elite club while Andersson only counts two others – Celtic's Mikael Lustig and Forsberg – who played to football in the Champions League this season. The right-back Lustig is suspended for the quarter-finals. Andersson's relied on players from Krasnodar, Hull City, Seattle Sounders and al-Ain, and he certainly spoke volumes for his ability to shape a team that is more than the sum of its parts. On the other hand, if the game of England is surely the biggest in the career of many Swedish players, will their relative lack of top-level experience be a factor?

[ad_2]
Source link