Spying game is all part of the scene in Russia
Volgograd Arena. “Everybody knows this is a team that is progressing and improving but we’re not the finished article.
“I think it’s going to be an exciting time to watch these boys play. I’m excited watching them.
“We really like watching the level in training, the competition and the spirit, not just in training but when they’re relaxing as well.
“It depends what the expectation is, as to whether that’s matching what’s been there in the past.
“But our focus has to be on the things we can control and getting better every day we work together and tomorrow transferring what we do on the training pitch into the game.”
SWEDEN
V SOUTH KOREA
Sweden coach Janne Andersson makes no bones about spying on South Korea’s training sessions ahead of their game at the World Cup.
The Koreans responded by swapping players’ numbers around to confuse the Swedish “spy” because, in the words of coach Shin Tae-yong, “it’s very difficult for westerners to distinguish between Asians”.
Surveillance and misdirection have been a big part of the build-up to the Group F game in Nizhny Novgorod today, because both teams probably recognise how crucial their opener is with tougher tests lto come against defending champions Germany and Mexico.
Andersson apologised to the South Koreans yesterday over an incident at South Korea’s pre-world Cup training camp in Austria, where a member of the It has been eight months since a euphoric night in Panama City when Roman Torres became a national hero. Tied 1-1 in the 88th minute against Costa Rica and in need of a goal to keep his country’s World Cup hopes alive with the United States flopping at Trinidad and Tobago, Torres unleashed a right-foot bolt from 11 yards and sent Panama to the World Cup for the first time.
Their long-awaited appearance begins tonight on the edge of the Black Sea when they face Belgium, and Torres admitted: “It’s a moment that God has gifted me and I am going to enjoy it Swedish coaching staff got into a closed Korean training session and was told to leave. The Swedish staffer thought the training session was open, Andersson said, and left when asked.
He still tried to gather as much information on the Korean drills as he could.
“He watched from more of a distance as a result,” Andersson said.
Andersson didn’t comment on allegations that the Swedish staffer in question, Lars Jacobsson, rented a house across the road from the Korean training ground in Austria so he could watch them work out.
He did say Sweden analyse every opponent – mostly by watching their games – and it’s fairly routine, but “it’s very important that we show respect for opponents, always and in every way. If it has been perceived in another way, we apologise”.
However, Shin recognises that at the World Cup, every team will try to get an edge. “You always want to know about the opponent,” he said. “That’s something we do. I don’t think that’s bad. We have to understand our opponents. So that’s part of the job that we do.”