The promise of the players after the Swedish defeat

Of: Petra Thorén

Published: October 11, 2020 at 11:26 p.m.
Updated: October 12, 2020 at 12:08 a.m.

ZAGREB. Sweden fell heavily against Croatia, but there were reasons to pick up.

“New Sweden offensive” gives hope and, after the defeat, the players delivered a promise for the future.

– It will be cruel, says Dejan Kulusevski.

After the miserable defeat (1-2) against Croatia, Marcus Berg, Pontus Jansson and Emil Forsberg sat in front of the small group of journalists at the Maksimir stadium in Zagreb.

Disappointed and a bit angry after the third loss in a month, which means that Sweden is at risk of leaving the top division of the Nations League.

But behind the disappointment and pain was a nascent intuition. It wasn’t bad at all.

Did we see Janne Andersson’s team during the second half drift down a new path?

– I’ve been scolding him for four years. What we can do in the national team is to manage what happens in the club’s selection. We have several new players participating in the dive. So it’s important to package it in a way to play, says Janne Andersson and continues:

– I basically want to play offensive soccer. I want us to be part of the parties. So I am not naive enough to think that we can do it against the best countries in the world, but that today we should be part of the party, I am completely convinced. I hope to continue to see this development when we meet these better nations. In fact, we can have our own game against the leading nations. We shouldn’t be content to defend ourselves, says Janne Andersson.

“I think we did very well”

The question before the game was whether Janne Andersson would pick Dejan Kulusevski or Viktor Claesson. Why not both when necessary? Thought the league captain, lifting Claesson to the top and keeping Kulusevski on the field.

Sweden sometimes played challenging Dejan Kulusevski, a fluid Emil Forsberg, a dynamic Viktor Claesson really, really well.

– So we look like a soccer team that can play soccer. In the first half we really didn’t do that. That is what we should take with us above all, says Emil Forsberg.

Is it a crossroads for this national team?

– Yes, but we’ve known each other for a long time. It’s about putting each other in situations where you improve your teammate. I think we did it today in the second half, says Emil Forsberg.

The positive image of the second part was also shared by Dejan Kulusevski, when he joined the press room.

– It takes time, it is not that you go in and go one hundred percent in each duel. It is not that easy. But it is clear that it should not take 45 minutes, it is too long. We may have to get there a little faster, he says.

Does this team lack the courage to play?

– We are trying. Before the game we entered with a lot of energy. Some forget that it is Croatia, which came second this winter and has Modric playing. It’s a great team, it’s not that easy. But we may have to have more energy, get more into the duels in the first one, push ourselves a bit more, but it will be. There are still new players, it will take time but it will be cruel, says Dejan Kulusevski and believes that the effect can reach the European Championship.

– We have met France, Portugal and Croatia. It goes without saying that these are the top three national teams in the world. We do our best, if we don’t win, no problem, as long as we do our best. I think we were better than Croatia throughout the second half, but we are learning. Nobody wants to lose. But we are positive. We see what steps we take, we see what football we play today. It will be cruel, he says.

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Published: October 11, 2020 at 11:26 p.m.

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