Sweden Schedule & Results | Scouting Report | Road to Euro 2004

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Style of Play:
The Swedes will never be accused of playing exiting soccer; on the contrary, their style is characterized as being cautious, workmanlike and deliberate. No surprise, then, that the defenders in Sweden's 4-1-3-2 formation rarely move forward, and instead hold the line at the back to ensure they aren't burned on the counterattack. The central defensive pairing (Olof Mellberg and Andreas Jakobsson who will likely start in place of the injured Michael Svensson) is supported by a holding midfielder (Johan Mjallby) who lines up just in front of them. Aside from acting as the first line of defence, he is responsible for winning the ball in and spreading it forward to the three attacking midfielders. From there, the two wide-outs (Freddie Ljungberg on the left and Mikael Nilsson on the right) move the ball forward down the wings, although Ljungberg is given license to roam towards the middle and make his trademark probing runs towards the penalty area. The strikers (Henrik Larsson and either Zlatan Ibrahimovic or Marcus Allback) play side-by-side and rely almost exclusively on service from Ljungberg. The central midfielder (Anders Svensson) makes similar penetrating runs up the middle, lending his support to the attack.

Strengths:
Henrik Larsson's return - The talismanic striker, who plays for Scottish League champions Celtic, retired from international soccer after the 2002 World Cup, only to be convinced to play for Sweden one last time at Euro 2004. One of Europe's most prolific scorers over the last several years, Larsson provides Sweden with a lethal goal-scoring threat. He also is a team leader, providing Sweden with a constant source of inspiration on the field.

Scoring - Even without Larsson, Sweden is a dangerous offensive team. Starter Zlatan Ibrahimovic is a dangerous, young hit-man, while the more experienced Marcus Allback and Mattias Jonson have demonstrated in the past that they can produce in big games. Larsson's return just strengthens a team that needed little offensive help to begin with.

Defence - Sweden boasts a tough, stable and impenetrable defence - they only gave up three goals in eight qualifying games. Anchored by Olof Mellberg, the defence is very tough to break down and they play as a cohesive unit, often times keeping their team in games and giving them a chance to win.

Weaknesses:
Inconsistency - Despite their talent, Sweden is often snake-bitten by bouts of inconsistency - witness their draws against humble Latvia and Hungary in the opening two games of the qualifiers. If Sweden doesn't come to play at Euro (especially against teams the calibre of Italy and Denmark) they'll be going home early.

Lack of playmakers - There's no question that Freddie Ljungberg is one of the most dangerous, creative midfielders in the game. The problem is he's really the only one on the Swedish team that can take matters into his own hands and change the face of a game with his audacious play. The rest of the midfield is hard working, but Sweden lacks that winning spark from a creative playmaker.

Injuries- The Swedes were dealt a crushing blow when central Michael Svensson had to withdraw due to injury two weeks before the tournament. Forward Marcus Allback, midfielders Johan Mjallby and Kim Kallstrom, and starting goalkeeper Andreas Isaksson are all battling their own injury problems ahead of Euro. They likely won't be 100 per cent healthy once the tournament starts, giving the Swedes plenty to worry about.

Key Players to watch:
Zlatan Ibrahimovic - Ibrahimovic is an enigma: he's a talented target-man who holds up the ball well, can score with his feet and head, and is a deadly finisher. Unfortunately, the young striker is also a hot head, and often sulks and looses his cool when things don't go his way on the field. Euro will be his chance to show some maturity and evolve into a more disciplined player and team leader.

Olof Mellberg - A solid, physical and unflappable central defender, Mellberg is the anchor of Sweden's back line. He organizes the defence well, makes intelligent decisions, and possesses excellent defensive instincts. Voted the 2003 Swedish Player of the Year for his outstanding play with Aston Villa in the English Premiership.

Freddie Ljungberg - The exciting midfielder is famous for his brilliant dribbling skills and for making dangerous, darting runs down the flanks. He combines tremendous speed with guile, and has a penchant for penetrating the opposing team's penalty box and scoring goals after making one of his swash-buckling runs from midfield.

Key injuries/squad omissions:
In a huge blow for the Swedes, key defender Michael Svensson had to withdraw from the team due to a knee injury. Alexander Östlund took his place. Johan Mjallby, another key player in the Swedish midfield, has been plagued by knee injuries over last year and is not at 100 per cent. Midfielder Kim Kallstrom comes into the tournament bothered by a nagging groin injury. In a bit of a surprise, defenders Petter Hansson (four caps) and Erik Wahlstedt (two caps) were selected, despite their limited international experience.

Prognosis:
Anchored by a stingy defence and a talented crop of strikers, Sweden could do some damage and is more than capable of playing stride for stride with teams such as Italy. However, Freddie Ljungberg is the only midfielder of any individual quality on the roster, the only dangerous creative threat in the Swedish midfield. If teams can neutralize him, they will have essentially shut down Sweden's attack. Another potential problem is Sweden's inconsistency. One lacklustre effort in Portugal, where every game counts, will cost them dearly. First place is beyond the Swedes, leaving them to battle it out with Denmark for second place. If they can win their game against the Danes, they have a shot of moving on as the second-place team in Group C, but progressing beyond the quarter-final won't be in the cards. However, even trumping Denmark will take some effort, as the Danes have a deeper squad of qualify players. Sweden will have to content itself fighting Bulgaria for third place.

Current FIFA Ranking: #18

First-round schedule:
June 14 vs. Bulgaria (Lisbon)
June 18 vs. Italy (Porto)
June 22 vs. Denmark (Porto)

Euro 2004 qualification route:
Finished 1st in qualifying Group 4 (17 points) ahead of second-place Latvia (16 points).

Record in qualifying: 5 wins, 2 draws, 1 loss
Goals for: 19 Goals against: 3

Qualifying results:
09.07.2002 - Sweden 0 Latvia 0
10.12.2002 - Sweden 1 Hungary 1
04.02.2003 - Sweden 2 Hungary 1
06.07.2003 - Sweden 6 San Marino 0
06.11.2003 - Sweden 3 Poland 0
09.06.2003 - Sweden 5 San Marino 0
09.10.2003 - Sweden 2 Poland 0
10.11.2003 - Latvia 1 Sweden 0

Number of Previous Euro Appearances: 3
All-time record: 10 GP -- 3 W, 4 D, 4 L
Goals for: 13 Goals against: 15
Biggest defeat: 1-3 vs. Russia in 1964
Biggest victory: 2-1 vs. England in 1992

Euro History:
1960 - did not participate in competition
1964 - quarter-final
1968 - did not qualify
1972 - did not qualify
1976 - did not qualify
1980 - did not qualify
1984 - did not qualify
1988 - did not qualify
1992 - semifinals
1996 - did not qualify
2000 - first round

Other Achievements:
World Cup finalists: 1958 in Sweden
Olympic Gold Medal: 1948 in London
Olympic Bronze Medal: 1924 in Paris, 1952 in Helsinki

Greatest Players:
Lennart Skoglund: Skoglund was an accomplished left-winger who helped Sweden reach the World Cup finals on home soil in 1958. Renowned for his refined dribbling and passing skills, he played nine seasons for Inter Milan, winning the Italian league title twice.

Thomas Ravelli: Sweden's number one goalkeeper for the bulk of the 1980s and 1990s, Thomas Ravelli led Sweden to a third-place finish in the 1994 World Cup in the U.S. Nicknamed the "The Clown Prince of Soccer" for his pranks and jovial demeanour.