Sweden vs England: 5 things we learned
Sweden and England battled for a coveted semi-finals spot when the two European side locked horns at the Samara Arena, and it was the Three Lions who were eventually able to break down Sweden’s ultra-defensive approach. Predictably, the Blågult stuck to their typical 4-4-2 formation that has served Janne Andersson’s side well so far in an attempt to frustrate England’s attack, but to no avail.
Sweden finally reached the end of its rope, and England is through to the final four. Just one game – and Croatia – is standing in their way of this summer’s final after a deserved 2-0 win over the Scandinavian outfit.
Here are five key observations from England’s victory over the staunchly defensive Blågult.
1. Sweden prove they can do it without Zlatan
No Zlatan, no problem has been the mantra for Sweden at this summer’s tournament. And the Blågult proved they are a better side without the brash striker in their ranks. Despite the absence of any real household names, Andersson’s side was a very cohesive team unit and the fact that the team’s top goalscorer was defender Andreas Granqvist is a further testament to their “we versus me” approach.
No one expected them to be featuring in the finals, but the fact that they made it to the quarter-finals is an impressive feat in itself. With Zlatan in the side, Sweden was knocked out twice in the round of 16 at the 2002 and 2006 World Cups, and failed to even qualify for the 2010 and 2014 editions.
2. Raheem Sterling needs to be dropped after another frustrating display…
Yes, he has speed. But Sterling simply can’t find the back of the net – and that’s something that will come back to haunt England. Throughout the tournament, Gareth Southgate has opted to stick with the Manchester City man, and he continues to fail to repay his manager’s trust.
Sterling had no less than two gilt-edged chances against Sweden to put the tie to bed. One saw him facing the goalkeeper one-on-one, and he opted to dribble in lieu of shooting, or better yet, play a pass back to a very open Harry Kane in a prime shooting position. That’s not going to cut it against a determined Croatia side who are infinitely more skilled than Sweden, and one of his misses could end up proving costly for the Three Lions in their upcoming clash with the Vatreni.
3. …and Marcus Rashford should be started in his stead
Rashford came on as a sub against Colombia with seven minutes remaining in extra time and proved to be more impactful than Sterling in his entire 88 minutes on the pitch. In addition, despite this being his first senior tournament, the Manchester United starlet wasn’t afraid to step up and take a penalty in the tense shoot-out against the South Americans. He was given a few minutes of game-time as he came on as a very late sub for Sterling in the 90th minute against Sweden, so wasn’t able to make his mark on the game, but fans will hope he can be given a full run-out against Croatia on Wednesday.
4. Jordan Pickford continues solid showing in between the posts
Pickford may have been mocked by Thibaut Courtois for failing to stop Adnan Januzaj’s effort due to his “height” – or lack of it – but overall, the Everton goalkeeper has had a very solid tournament. The 24-year-old was in excellent form during England’s shoot-out with Colombia to help his team into the quarter-finals and finally earned his first clean sheet with an assured showing against Sweden. He didn’t have much to do due to Sweden’s focus on defense and its overall weak attack. Overall, though, Pickford was a reliable presence when the Scandinavian side began to make more attempts in a desperate bid to get back into the contest once their “defend, defend, defend” approach went out the window.
5. Southgate continuing to get his formula right in absence of expectations
The lack of pressure on this England team – which is the third-youngest at this tournament – coupled with Southgate’s choice to make some very bold decisions have paid off. England is into the semi-finals of a World Cup for the first time in 28 years, and the team has done it without some regular faces. For starters, Southgate quickly realized there is no room for Wayne Rooney in this team – a decision his predecessor should have considered ahead of the EURO 2016 tournament which ended in disgrace after a defeat to minnows Iceland. Joe Hart, who had a tournament to forget two years ago in France, is another who was overlooked and young keeper Pickford given the no. 1 spot in his stead.
Well, this gamble continues to work in England’s favor, and now the team is 90 minutes away from featuring in the final. In the absence of expectations, England has more than thrived; the Three Lions have started to roar and certainly, Croatia will be very wary of this inspired side as the two familiar foes prepare to do battle on Wednesday evening.
