With
Euro 2012 kicking-off - it's time to profile the countries taking part, from
their footballing beginnings to the present day.
Coach: Erik Hamren
Best Group Runners Up
One to Watch: Tobias Hysen
As
we approach the summer of 2012 all of our minds, well most of them at least,
will turn away from the domestic football competitions within our own
countries, towards the International arena for the eagerly awaited European
Championship Finals, to be held in Poland and the Ukraine. At It's All In The
Game, I shall be profiling each of the 16 finalists that will bid to become the
champions of Europe until 2016.
The
next of our team profiles for Euro 2012 takes us to Sweden. Sweden’s history in
qualifying for the major international tournaments is impressive. The Swedes
have qualified for no fewer than eleven World Cup Finals and they've come close
to winning the ultimate prize twice, finishing third in 1958 on home soil and
in 1994 when the tournament was staged in the United States.
As
hosts of the 1992 European Championships, Sweden qualified automatically,
marking their debut in the tournament with some fine performances, topping a
group that included, eventual champions, Denmark. The Swedes famously condemned
England to group stage elimination in 1992 by recording a 2-1 victory in what
was Gary Lineker's final game for the Three Lions; Thomas Brolin with a fabulous
winner. In the end Sweden lost out
narrowly in the semi-final, defeated 2-3 by the newly unified German side,
Kennet Andersson's last minute header not enough to save the hosts.
Since
then Sweden have gone on to appear in the European Championships on three
further occasions, 2000, 2004 and 2008. They have been disappointing
tournaments for the Swedes, in terms of results, only once managing to get
through the group stage, despite having players such as Henrik Larsson and
Freddie Ljungberg to call on. Their brief foray into the knock-out stages was
in 2004, when they lost to the Dutch in the quarter final after Edwin Van der
Sar saved Olaf Mellberg’s penalty in the shoot-out. The game having finished
goalless after extra time.
Sweden
have qualified for Euro 2012 by right as the best runners up from the group
stages. They picked up more points from
their qualifying games than any other second placed team. The Swedes formidable
form during the campaign saw them rack up 24 points from ten games, a record of
eight victories and two defeats, which included a 3-2 triumph over group
winners the Netherlands in their final match. This victory marked the end of
Holland’s remarkable record of 17 successive wins in qualifying and secured
Sweden a points total that would have won three out of the six, six team
groups.
On
this, their fifth appearance in the European Championships to date, Sweden will
be looking to improve on their recent record in major competitions. Failure to
qualify for World Cup 2010 was seen as a disaster and resulted in the
replacement of, long-time coach, Lars Lagerback with Erik Hamren.
Under
Hamren's tutelage Sweden look refreshed, he’s brought in a couple of players
who had been on the fringes under the old regime to good effect, such as Rasmus
Elm. A skilful attacking midfielder known for his speed, hard work and set
piece capability, Elm scored ten goals from midfield for AZ this season and was
believed to be on Liverpool's radar before Kenny Dalgish's departure.
As
well as bringing the new, Hamren’s arrival seems to have rejuvenated and even
reinvigorated some of the more experienced campaigners, such as Kim Kallstrom
and Johan Elmander, both playing a major part in Sweden’s successful qualifying campaign. Elmander was
struggling with injury towards the end of the season; however, he has recovered
suitably to be included in the final squad.
A
lesser known name but perhaps one to look out for this summer is that of Tobias
Hysen of IFK Goteburg. Hysen is an attacking midfielder come striker, son of
Glen Hysen, who Liverpool fans of a certain age will remember. Formerly a
fringe player, he has been a regular in the squad under Hamren’s stewardship.
Having
moved to Goteburg from Sunderland in 2007 after a short rather unsuccessful
spell, Hysen has re-established himself and has an excellent goals per game
ratio, 51 in 126 appearances. At thirty years old he is a relative latecomer to
the international scene, although he was capped at under-21 level, but he is
now replicating his league form at international level with seven goals from
his twenty-one caps.
Ola
Toivonen is another name to keep your eyes out for in Poland and Ukraine. The
25 year old, who plays for PSV in Holland, has been heavily linked with a move
to the English Premier League next season. Toivonen is a tall, powerful striker
who scored eighteen goals in thirty three league appearances last term. Although
he only made two substitute appearances for Sweden during the qualifying
campaign, he did score in one of them and has been named in Hamren's final
squad.
Sweden
have a good chance of progressing into the knockout stages in Poland and
Ukraine, their qualification results and performances were impressive, and the
new coach seems to really have the players motivated and playing at something
like their best. The experience contained within the team, especially its
spine, will be vital; Isaksson, Mellberg, Svensson (vc) and Ibrahimovic (c)
have nearly 400 caps between them.
The
Swedes have been drawn in group d, with England, France and Ukraine. My feeling
is that France will top the group and that there will be an almighty scrap
between the other three to claim the second qualifying spot. Ukraine are an
unknown quantity and will be helped by home advantage, England are, to put it
nicely, very much a work in progress under a brand new boss and, although
unlikely to concede many, unlikely to score too many either.
If
Sweden can get off to a good start by beating Ukraine in their opening fixture,
then there is no reason to think that they won't get out of the group. Further
progress could be possible but it will depend on the form of the mercurial
Zlatan Ibrahimovic, if he is firing on all cylinders then there is a slim
chance that Sweden could reach the semi-finals and emulate the success of 1992.
If, on the other hand, he is not, then they could well be going home early.
By Neil Patterson
Email:
neil.b.patterson@gmail.com
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