WORLD CHAMPS OF TEAM SPIRIT .. AND TOUGHER TO BEAT THAN BRAZIL
Former boss Sven warns England not to write off Sweden in quarter-final
SVEN GORAN ERIKSSON says England will fear another Nordic disaster when they face Sweden in their World Cup showdown.
The former Three Lions boss even believes they’d have a better chance of beating Brazil than his native country in Saturday’s quarter-final. Eriksson claims England are in for their hardest game in the tournament and Sweden can repeat Iceland’s shock victory in Euro 2016. He said: “England have a great chance to make a World Cup semifinal but if anyone in the squad thinks they have an easy game, they’re wrong. “It’ll be the most difficult game they’ll have played, they can bet on that. It would be easier for England to beat Brazil than to beat Sweden. “Sweden are a very hard team to break down. Their strikers are defenders when it’s time to defend and they can defend in their own box as well. “Sweden will be more or less the same as Iceland in Euro 2016. They don’t have the best footballers in the world and none of our players would play in the first team of the biggest clubs in the world since Zlatan Ibrahimovic has left. “But, as a team, the way they work together, they are one of the best. You won’t find a better team. Sweden are world champions of team spirit.” Eriksson was in charge of England’s Golden Generation and the likes of
Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard and Paul Scholes struggled against Sweden.
The nations have played 24 times, England just edge it with nine wins, Sweden have won eight and the rest ended in draws.
But they have developed a remarkable rivalry in recent years, with Eriksson playing Sweden four times while in charge of England but unable to beat them once.
Eriksson insists that despite Harry Kane leading the Golden Boot scoring charts with six goals, Sweden will not fear him and it will be so tight it could go to penalties again.
He said: “Kane will be a tougher challenge than they’re used to but Sweden won’t be impressed by him – or whoever is in the England team.
“Kane can be a match-winner. They have speed in Vardy, even if not the most technical player, and Sterling. They have speed in Rashford who is dynamite. They are very good at counter-attacks but won’t get many chances of that against Sweden.
“They will not change anything. They’ll be 4-4-2, organised, let England have the ball, no problem. They’ll wait.
“Sweden are so difficult to break down. They’re solid and really tough. If you woke them up in the middle of the night they would know every position in defending – any possibility in the game, they know what to do. They are so well organised.
“I can see a draw and extra time. England have set-pieces, Sweden will make some chance but the game will come down to luck – the team that makes the most of their luck will win.
“Many teams have tried to break down Sweden. Italy couldn’t score in 180 minutes in the qualifying play-offs. Germany struggled in the group stage and needed Toni Kroos’s free-kick to save them. Switzerland could have played for a week and still not scored.
“The defence is a great strength. Especially from set-pieces. Sweden are a tall team at the back.
“Both teams will have the problem of scoring. It’s a good thing England are scoring from corners, penalties and free-kicks and they look very dangerous from these all the time.
“The important thing is England went through on penalties for once. That’ll be great for their confidence going on in the tournament.
“Everyone gets worried when a game goes to penalties, and with the record England have in competitions, it’s huge they’ve managed to win the shootout.
“Penalties are a special issue in games like this. I don’t know how much difference winning the shootout will make but it’s great for confidence because of England’s history.
“My brain says England though my heart says Sweden.”
Sweden will be more or less the same as Iceland at Euro 2016 SVEN GORAN ERIKSSON