Skinny
, 05:12 PM
http://footiethreads.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=809&stc=1 Country Info
AREA: 449,964 sq km
POPULATION: 8,878,085
NEIGHBOURS: Denmark, Finland, Norway
LANGUAGES: Swedish
CAPITAL CITY: Stockholm
Famous in the Medieval world for the brutality of the Vikings, Sweden's subsequent development would see the nation revived as a liberal state with a strong reputation for civility.
Major players
The story of Swedish football is arguably not dissimilar, as the nation emerged from years of ignominy on the margins of Europe to become major players on the international footballing stage.
Viking notoriety
The region covered by modern Sweden had long been occupied before the Viking raiders of the first millennium put the nation firmly on the European map.
Swedish craft
Famous for their seamanship and unparalleled brutality, the pagan raiders struck terror deep into Europe, and were active deep into Russia. However, they were also a literate population, now famous for their works of literature and craftwork.
Modern liberalism
United with Norway and Denmark to form the Union of Kalmar, Sweden went it alone again following a rebellion in 1523, and as the Swedish monarchy declined, the nation grew into a strong industrialised country which grew, in the course of the 20th century, into a wealthy nation committed to a strong welfare state.
Footballing development
In footballing terms, Sweden was one of FIFA's founder members in 1904 but it did not really rise to international renown until they took footballing gold at the 1948 Olympics and hosted the 1958 FIFA World Cup finals - a tournament which saw Brazil's Pelé emerge as a superstar.
Modern success
Things went quiet again until Sweden played host to the finals of EURO '92, reaching the semi-finals as the national team began to make good use of the experience they were gaining playing in Europe's biggest leagues.
Flying the flag
Third place at the 1994 FIFA World Cup finals marked another high point, and with Swedish players continuing to thrive all over Europe, Sweden are poised to fight Scandinavia's corner again at UEFA EURO 2004™.
Preview
Their defeat to Latvia in their last match when they had already secured top spot in their group may have ended an unbeaten run in all qualifiers that stretched back to 1997, but Sweden have yet again cruised into a major tournament. Moreover, their dominant performance in UEFA EURO 2004™ qualifying Group 4 against Hungary, Poland, Latvia and San Marino suggests a team determined to turn preliminary potency into finals success.
Setbacks overcome
Their qualification campaign had its fair share of upheaval. Tommy Söderberg ended speculation over his future as joint coach by announcing he was stepping down to leave Lars Lagerbäck in sole charge after the finals and the prolific Henrik Larsson retired from international football after a brief comeback. Yet those blows never knocked Sweden out of their stride.
Consecutive wins
That seemed unlikely when the team begun sluggishly with draws against Latvia and Hungary, following on from a FIFA World Cup finals campaign that ended with second-round defeat by Senegal. However, Sweden hit form and in the four games against San Marino and Poland in June and September 2003 they scored 16 goals without reply in picking up the 12 points they needed to take them to Portugal.
Emerging goalkeeper
Those clean sheets point to the key to Sweden's result - defensive organisation. Andreas Isaksson may have made his debut in goal as a 20-year-old in only 2002, but he wore the No1 shirt for all those four shut-out victories, edging out Magnus Hedman, and is now making up for his disappointment in being unable to break into the Juventus FC lineup during his spell in Turin.
Established defence
With an established back four of Olof Mellberg, Michael Svensson, Erik Edman and Teddy Lucic, Sweden have the stability in defence that allowed them to change goalkeeper and become increasingly tough to penetrate as qualification progressed.
Regular midfield
The midfield tends to be organised in a conventional four-man line. Andreas Jakobsson, Mikael Nilsson, Andres Svensson and Fredrik Ljungberg emerged as the regular midfield in qualifying, with width and forward-running thrust provided, especially by English-based pair Svensson and Ljungberg.
Proven scorers
Larsson may no longer lead the line, but they still do not want for strikers. AFC Ajax's 22-year-old Zlatan Ibrahimovic has proved his class in the UEFA Champions League, and his discipline seems to be improving with age. The more experienced Marcus Allbäck, along with Andreas Andersson and Mattias Jonson - who ended a six-year spell without an international goal with a hat-trick against San Marino last June - are all also proven scorers at international level.
Finals puzzle
Despite the talent running through the side, the problem remains that Sweden have not been able to match their usually excellent qualifying form when they reach major finals. Perhaps the solution to the puzzle may come from the very solidity that tends to help them to major finals. In no game in the 2000 or 2002 final tournaments did they concede two or more goals in a match, but equally only against Argentina in Korea/Japan did they manage to score more than once.
Attacking invention
Therefore the key to Sweden's success in Portugal could be the emergence of the likes of Ibrahimovic providing the extra attacking invention needed in the knockout phase. Sweden are already known as a hard team to beat - all they need now is to become a side difficult to prevent from winning.
Squad List (subject to change)
Andreas Isaksson
Magnus Kihlstedt
Magnus Hedman
-------------------
Mikael Dorsin
Erik Edman
Michael Svensson
Teddy Lucic
Olof Mellberg
Andreas Jakobsson
-------------------
Andreas Johansson
Kim Kallstrom
Anders Svensson
Tobias Linderoth
Fredrik Ljungberg
Christoffer Andersson
Mikael Nilsson
Johan Mjallby
-------------------
Mattias Jonson
Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Marcus Allback
Fixtures
v Bulgaria 19:45
v Italy 19:45
v Denmark 19:45
(Match kick-offs are listed in local time)
In charge
Tommy Söderberg and Lars Lagerbäck
http://www.fotbolls-em.nu/0615/larstommy.jpg
There are few examples in modern football of coaching double acts succeeding, making Tommy Söderberg and Lars Lagerbäck's achievements all the more remarkable. The duo have guided Sweden to the finals of three successive major tournaments, but the partnership is set to come to an end after UEFA EURO 2004™.
Last hurrah
Söderberg has announced he intends to step aside after next summer's tournament in Portugal, having been in charge of the national side since 1997. The two men guided the Scandinavian side to UEFA EURO 2000™ and the 2002 FIFA World Cup, making them an unlikely pairing in the highly individual world of football management.
Perfect combination
The 55-year-old Söderberg is the more visible of the two. He is the main motivator and is more likely to be seen wearing a tracksuit and chatting to the players on the training pitch while Lagerbäck is more of a tactician, combining excellent analytical skills with the ability to pool relevant material on opposing teams.
Changed roles
Söderberg originally had Lagerbäck as his assistant when he took over from Tommy Svensson in 1997, but was officially joined at the helm by Lagerbäck two years later. After Svensson guided Sweden to the last four of the 1994 FIFA World Cup, Sweden failed to qualify for the next competition in 1998. Under Söderberg they reached the finals of EURO 2000™ but exited quickly.
Defensive tactics
Their defensive performances in the Low Countries – where they lost to Belgium and Italy and drew with Turkey – sparked criticism, but the team's performance in qualifying for the subsequent World Cup, when they remained unbeaten, soon won fans over once again.
Impressive campaign
Sweden performed creditably in Korea/Japan, finishing top of a group that also contained Argentina, England and Nigeria, but were eliminated by Senegal in the second round. However, the Scandinavian side recovered from the setback to reach EURO 2004™ in style, losing only to Latvia in their final match when automatic qualification was already assured.
Early careers
Söderberg is a Stockholmer who guided AIK Solna to the Allsvenskan title in 1992 and also managed AIK's arch-rivals Djürgardens IF. His CV also includes a spell in charge of IF Brommapojkarna, now in the Swedish first division. In 1994 he started a three-year spell as coach of the Sweden Under-21 team before replacing Svensson. Lagerbäck, who is the same age as Söderberg, came up through the ranks coaching Sweden's junior sides.
Odds
25/1
AREA: 449,964 sq km
POPULATION: 8,878,085
NEIGHBOURS: Denmark, Finland, Norway
LANGUAGES: Swedish
CAPITAL CITY: Stockholm
Famous in the Medieval world for the brutality of the Vikings, Sweden's subsequent development would see the nation revived as a liberal state with a strong reputation for civility.
Major players
The story of Swedish football is arguably not dissimilar, as the nation emerged from years of ignominy on the margins of Europe to become major players on the international footballing stage.
Viking notoriety
The region covered by modern Sweden had long been occupied before the Viking raiders of the first millennium put the nation firmly on the European map.
Swedish craft
Famous for their seamanship and unparalleled brutality, the pagan raiders struck terror deep into Europe, and were active deep into Russia. However, they were also a literate population, now famous for their works of literature and craftwork.
Modern liberalism
United with Norway and Denmark to form the Union of Kalmar, Sweden went it alone again following a rebellion in 1523, and as the Swedish monarchy declined, the nation grew into a strong industrialised country which grew, in the course of the 20th century, into a wealthy nation committed to a strong welfare state.
Footballing development
In footballing terms, Sweden was one of FIFA's founder members in 1904 but it did not really rise to international renown until they took footballing gold at the 1948 Olympics and hosted the 1958 FIFA World Cup finals - a tournament which saw Brazil's Pelé emerge as a superstar.
Modern success
Things went quiet again until Sweden played host to the finals of EURO '92, reaching the semi-finals as the national team began to make good use of the experience they were gaining playing in Europe's biggest leagues.
Flying the flag
Third place at the 1994 FIFA World Cup finals marked another high point, and with Swedish players continuing to thrive all over Europe, Sweden are poised to fight Scandinavia's corner again at UEFA EURO 2004™.
Preview
Their defeat to Latvia in their last match when they had already secured top spot in their group may have ended an unbeaten run in all qualifiers that stretched back to 1997, but Sweden have yet again cruised into a major tournament. Moreover, their dominant performance in UEFA EURO 2004™ qualifying Group 4 against Hungary, Poland, Latvia and San Marino suggests a team determined to turn preliminary potency into finals success.
Setbacks overcome
Their qualification campaign had its fair share of upheaval. Tommy Söderberg ended speculation over his future as joint coach by announcing he was stepping down to leave Lars Lagerbäck in sole charge after the finals and the prolific Henrik Larsson retired from international football after a brief comeback. Yet those blows never knocked Sweden out of their stride.
Consecutive wins
That seemed unlikely when the team begun sluggishly with draws against Latvia and Hungary, following on from a FIFA World Cup finals campaign that ended with second-round defeat by Senegal. However, Sweden hit form and in the four games against San Marino and Poland in June and September 2003 they scored 16 goals without reply in picking up the 12 points they needed to take them to Portugal.
Emerging goalkeeper
Those clean sheets point to the key to Sweden's result - defensive organisation. Andreas Isaksson may have made his debut in goal as a 20-year-old in only 2002, but he wore the No1 shirt for all those four shut-out victories, edging out Magnus Hedman, and is now making up for his disappointment in being unable to break into the Juventus FC lineup during his spell in Turin.
Established defence
With an established back four of Olof Mellberg, Michael Svensson, Erik Edman and Teddy Lucic, Sweden have the stability in defence that allowed them to change goalkeeper and become increasingly tough to penetrate as qualification progressed.
Regular midfield
The midfield tends to be organised in a conventional four-man line. Andreas Jakobsson, Mikael Nilsson, Andres Svensson and Fredrik Ljungberg emerged as the regular midfield in qualifying, with width and forward-running thrust provided, especially by English-based pair Svensson and Ljungberg.
Proven scorers
Larsson may no longer lead the line, but they still do not want for strikers. AFC Ajax's 22-year-old Zlatan Ibrahimovic has proved his class in the UEFA Champions League, and his discipline seems to be improving with age. The more experienced Marcus Allbäck, along with Andreas Andersson and Mattias Jonson - who ended a six-year spell without an international goal with a hat-trick against San Marino last June - are all also proven scorers at international level.
Finals puzzle
Despite the talent running through the side, the problem remains that Sweden have not been able to match their usually excellent qualifying form when they reach major finals. Perhaps the solution to the puzzle may come from the very solidity that tends to help them to major finals. In no game in the 2000 or 2002 final tournaments did they concede two or more goals in a match, but equally only against Argentina in Korea/Japan did they manage to score more than once.
Attacking invention
Therefore the key to Sweden's success in Portugal could be the emergence of the likes of Ibrahimovic providing the extra attacking invention needed in the knockout phase. Sweden are already known as a hard team to beat - all they need now is to become a side difficult to prevent from winning.
Squad List (subject to change)
Andreas Isaksson
Magnus Kihlstedt
Magnus Hedman
-------------------
Mikael Dorsin
Erik Edman
Michael Svensson
Teddy Lucic
Olof Mellberg
Andreas Jakobsson
-------------------
Andreas Johansson
Kim Kallstrom
Anders Svensson
Tobias Linderoth
Fredrik Ljungberg
Christoffer Andersson
Mikael Nilsson
Johan Mjallby
-------------------
Mattias Jonson
Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Marcus Allback
Fixtures
v Bulgaria 19:45
v Italy 19:45
v Denmark 19:45
(Match kick-offs are listed in local time)
In charge
Tommy Söderberg and Lars Lagerbäck
http://www.fotbolls-em.nu/0615/larstommy.jpg
There are few examples in modern football of coaching double acts succeeding, making Tommy Söderberg and Lars Lagerbäck's achievements all the more remarkable. The duo have guided Sweden to the finals of three successive major tournaments, but the partnership is set to come to an end after UEFA EURO 2004™.
Last hurrah
Söderberg has announced he intends to step aside after next summer's tournament in Portugal, having been in charge of the national side since 1997. The two men guided the Scandinavian side to UEFA EURO 2000™ and the 2002 FIFA World Cup, making them an unlikely pairing in the highly individual world of football management.
Perfect combination
The 55-year-old Söderberg is the more visible of the two. He is the main motivator and is more likely to be seen wearing a tracksuit and chatting to the players on the training pitch while Lagerbäck is more of a tactician, combining excellent analytical skills with the ability to pool relevant material on opposing teams.
Changed roles
Söderberg originally had Lagerbäck as his assistant when he took over from Tommy Svensson in 1997, but was officially joined at the helm by Lagerbäck two years later. After Svensson guided Sweden to the last four of the 1994 FIFA World Cup, Sweden failed to qualify for the next competition in 1998. Under Söderberg they reached the finals of EURO 2000™ but exited quickly.
Defensive tactics
Their defensive performances in the Low Countries – where they lost to Belgium and Italy and drew with Turkey – sparked criticism, but the team's performance in qualifying for the subsequent World Cup, when they remained unbeaten, soon won fans over once again.
Impressive campaign
Sweden performed creditably in Korea/Japan, finishing top of a group that also contained Argentina, England and Nigeria, but were eliminated by Senegal in the second round. However, the Scandinavian side recovered from the setback to reach EURO 2004™ in style, losing only to Latvia in their final match when automatic qualification was already assured.
Early careers
Söderberg is a Stockholmer who guided AIK Solna to the Allsvenskan title in 1992 and also managed AIK's arch-rivals Djürgardens IF. His CV also includes a spell in charge of IF Brommapojkarna, now in the Swedish first division. In 1994 he started a three-year spell as coach of the Sweden Under-21 team before replacing Svensson. Lagerbäck, who is the same age as Söderberg, came up through the ranks coaching Sweden's junior sides.
Odds
25/1