4 days later

Sweden:

Olsen

Lustig - Nilsson-Lindelöf - Granqvist - Augustinsson

Claesson - Svensson - Ekdal - Forsberg

Toivonen - Berg

Sebastian Larsson is suspended and replaced by Gustav Svensson. I would have gone with Hiljemark personally, but both of them are able replacements.

Switzerland:

Sommer

Lang - Djourou - Akanji - Rodriguez

Behrami - Xhaka

Shaqiri - Dzemaili - Zuber

Drmic

Lichtsteiner and Schar are suspended. Embolo and Gavranovi benched since the last group game.

What's the atmosphere in Sweden like, Klaus?

The last time people were this worked up over an international tournament was probably the Euros in 2004. That was the last time it felt like we had a team that was good enough to win anything.

The current team is much lower on quality but it has a better shape, work ethic and mentality than anything we've seen since the -94 team that finished third in the World Cup. There's a shared sense that they might go deep into the tournament if they can get past Switzerland. They have the right mix of attacking football and defensive stability to make them a nuisance for everyone this year.

Defensively this Sweden team is immense. Probably the 3rd best defensive team behind Uruguay and Brazil.

Lichsteiner suspended is a big deal for the Swiss.

Clrnc wrote:

Defensively this Sweden team is immense. Probably the 3rd best defensive team behind Uruguay and Brazil.

A lot of the credit for the defence has to go to Andreas Granqvist. Best captain the national team has had since Henrik Larsson. He always had the talent to become a European top defender but he took a less obvious route instead through Holland, Italy and then Russia. Now he's 33 and playing some of the best football in his career, and despite plenty of contract offers he has already decided to move back home and help out his boyhood club in the Swedish second division, even though it'll likely cost him his spot in the national team. He just doesn't care much about fame.

Djourou 'Mango Butter' man is playing!

oh dear Berg, slashes it wide and then another wild kick

How can Sweden still persist with Berg? Start Guidetti ffs

I can't believe Behrami is still on the pitch.

Klaus wrote:
Clrnc wrote:

Defensively this Sweden team is immense. Probably the 3rd best defensive team behind Uruguay and Brazil.

A lot of the credit for the defence has to go to Andreas Granqvist. Best captain the national team has had since Henrik Larsson. He always had the talent to become a European top defender but he took a less obvious route instead through Holland, Italy and then Russia. Now he's 33 and playing some of the best football in his career, and despite plenty of contract offers he has already decided to move back home and help out his boyhood club in the Swedish second division, even though it'll likely cost him his spot in the national team. He just doesn't care much about fame.

Yeah, I read this article about him before the world cup: https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/jun/08/andreas-granqvist-wigan-flop-who-replaced-zlatan-as-swedens-leader

Really nice touch to want to help out his home town club, can't believe he flopped at Wigan though. I love how much balls he has to take excellent penalties

That's a great save. Sommer is underrated, good keeper.

btw was that a phone chucked on the pitch?

Also, Sweden are the biggest sticklers for formation in this tourney. Off the ball they're practically screaming 4-4-2

wtf was that Rodriguez 😆

Switzerland seem cowed by the occasion.

Striker Marcus Berg has had 13 shots for Sweden so far at this World Cup, the most of any player yet to score a single goal at the tournament.

For goodness sake how did you miss that?

Ekdal is killing me.