From our soccer studies, we know that hooliganism can strike anywhere at anytime. Take Millwall, for example. It breaks out there quite often. (Calm thyselves, Lions fans!)
And yet when you think of hooligans, you don't often think of Sweden, the land of meatballs, gorgeous women and affordable flat-pack furniture made of plywood and popsicle sticks (and the damn stuff NEVER, ever, ever has enough of those washers with which to get the job done).
Try telling that to some Djurgarden fans who were more than a little pissed on the flight home that they lost 2-1 at Malmo FF. With about 100 passengers crammed in to their tiny seats and waiting for takeoff, a few disgruntled Djurgarden fans got into a ruckus, assaulting one hapless passenger who tried to break up the melee and threatening several comely (I mean, they must be pretty, right?) flight attendants in the process.
Even after five louts were kicked off the plane before takeoff, the fighting continued, and seven others were detained for questioning upon landing in Stockholm.
Quote the article:
"[Stockholm Police Spokesperson Matt] Eriksson said the fans were noisy, "didn't sit down, didn't fasten their seat belts and didn't follow directions from the attendants."
One passenger who tried to stop the hooligans was assaulted and taken to hospital after arrival but was not seriously injured, Malmo Aviation spokesman Olof Lofgren said.
He said the pilot was considering interrupting the flight and landing at another airport, but decided to continue to Bromma where police were waiting.
"We transport football supporters a lot, but I've never experienced anything like this," Lofgren said. "It's deplorable that adults act this way."
Although none of the yobs were arrested, they could still see some jail time for assault and breach of the peace, and possibly even air sabotage, a beautifully-named infringement that carries a maximum of four years in prison.
Next time, I'd suggest that the miserable fans simply go and get laid to blow off some steam. I mean, you live in fucking Sweden! How bad could it be there! Read more on "Soccer nightmare at 20,000 feet"...
"Let me tell you about Sweden, only country where the clouds are interesting."
"Too much time to think, too little to do."
"It's all quiet on the Eastern front."
It's a meaningless very important friendly between a mishmash of fringe American and Swedish players! We sure do love US Soccer here, so why not join me for a liveblog after the jump? YIPPEE!
Here's what we know: The U.S. plays Mexico in an important World Cup Qualifier on February 11th, but practically none of the players who will be in that match will be playing tonight. Similarly, most of the Swedish regulars won't be playing today. So, it's basically the U.S. C Team versus the Swedish C Team. Oh, and the game takes place in California, so no ogling at Swedish fans in the stands. Still with me?
You see, I've got a cold and have basically been on the couch the past few days, so why not try (my best) to follow along with this game? If nothing else let's have a nice chat in the comments, shall we? And, worst case, we can each have ourselves a nice nap.
I'll be back closer to 8:00pm EST with starting lineups and whatnot.
Pregame: Yup, I'm back and rearing to go. The storyline tonight is whether some of the younger and fringe players can earn their way into Bob Bradley's good graces. Otherwise, well... Cops is on Fox, and I believe there's a Time Life infomercial featuring the Bowzer on another channel. The Bowzer hasn't really aged well.
Your starting lineups...
USMT: Troy Perkins, Marvell Wynne, Michael Parkhurst, Danny Califf (captain), Jonathan Bornstein, John Thorrington, Sacha Kljestan, Ricardo Clark, Robbie Rogers, Charlie Davies, Brian Ching
Let me tell you about Sweden: Johan Dahlin, Markus Jonsson, Marcus Lindberg, Max von Schlebrügge, Adam Johansson, Daniel Andersson (captain), Andreas Dahl, Gustav Svensson, Samuel Holmén, Daniel Nannskog, Mikael Dahlberg.
Oh look, FSC sprung to send Bretos to the match! And there are literally dozens of people in the stands to see the game.
Oops, I left out Kljestan up in the lineup. You were paying attention and noticed that, didn't you?
Bob Bradley is being interviewed outside his hotel, and he's wearing his U.S. Soccer uniform. I bet he sleeps in that uniform.
Speaking of sleep, Bob Bradley speaking puts me to sleep.
Uh... so, I hope that Kljestan signs with Celtic, that would be cool. 13 more minutes till this game starts. The anticipation is killing me, and just in time is a kind of creepy interview with USWT coach Pia Sundhage.
I'm taking this opportunity to express my hatred of the constant Proactiv ads on FSC.
Shots of the stands... I wonder what kind of person shows up to a US v. Sweden friendly at the Home Depot Center?
Poor Brian Ching, always a USMT bridesmaid, never a bride.
And the players are coming out on the pitch... but first more commercials. I'm betting there will be at least one for Proactiv.
Yay I win, it's a Proactiv ad. If there were a FSC bingo board, than Proactiv would be the free space.
Okay, after 35 minutes of exciting buildup, it's the... coin toss and handshakes. We're getting closer to the game starting. I have chills running down my spine.
Mark Rogondino has a face that belongs on Mount Rushmore. He's craggy.
Kickoff: Sweden gets it going and pass it back to their defenders before punting it up the field. Promising start.
2: So far, the young Americans are showing their talent at kicking the ball out of play.
4: Landon Donovan is the Peyton Manning of US Soccer. Discuss.
6: Christopher Sullivan suggests that Larsson should come to MLS. Yeah I see that happening. USMT putting some pressure outside the Swedish goal. There looks to be an early goal in this one.
10: More shaky defending by the Swedes. Their back four would make Arsenal proud. On the other end, Sweden earn a corner kick that Kljestan heads away.
13: Marvel Wynne with a nice run down the right and corner. And Thorrington makes a good tackle. Color Bob Bradley.... impressed. Otherwise, just a lot of running around.
14: I think Sullivan just compared Kljestan to Pirlo? Wha?
17: GOAL! 1-0 USA! Hello Celtic, you paying attention? Kljestan scores a beautiful curling freekick.
18: And Bretos compares Kljestan to Lampard and Ballack. Who's next? Cristiano Ronaldo? Torres? Fabregas? Kaka?
22: More running around, a few late tackles by the Swedes that the ref lets go, and the U.S. is pressing for a second. Oh and a plug for Fox Football Fone In. I bet in real life Steven Cohen yells at people all the time, like when he orders coffee at Starbucks... "I want A TALL LATTE!! WITH SKIM!!"
27: Andersson takes out Kljestan with a flick of his foot and earns a deserved yellow card. Dirty, dirty Swedes!
30: And now some sloppy end-to-end play, capped by Wynne winning a ball down the right for a throw-in. Like almost all of the American defenders, Wynne would be top notch if only he were around 3-4 inches taller.
33: Robbie Rogers finally does something useful by earning a freekick, that's taken by Kljestan again but redirected for a corner that's eventually cleared.
36: Wynne makes a nice play that results in a US breakaway that comes to nothing. Sweden must've really left their decent players at home. They look pretty crap.
39: Another great play by the Americans, who maintain possession until Wynne makes a run and is taken down for a penalty that...
40: GOAL (penalty) 2-0! Kljestan easily converts. The nice thing about that goal was the Americans finally showed some concerted ball control, something that's been lacking in 99% of the MLS matches I've seen. If the next generation of Americans can finally learn basic ball control skills, maybe the USMT finally will become relevant (there, I said it).
44: Sweden cross into the box but no one is there to meet it. Meanwhile, Bretos and Sullivan are waxing nostalgic about the Swedish leagues. Halftime is almost here, and I have a feeling I'm the last one still watching!
45: With one minute of extra time, Ching earns a freekick around 15 yards out that Robbie Rogers kicks straight into the wall. US up 2-0. I'll be back for the second half, assuming I don't fall asleep.
Halftime: Even Bretos just admitted that this is a boring game. 'Nuff said. Between more Proactiv ads, they ran that It Starts Here ad. I'm a fan of that one.
46: And they're off... Kenny Cooper is on for Charlie Davies.
47: Someone forgot to tell the Swedes the game started again. They let Klejstan cut through their defense before giving up a corner, which is just barely cleared off the line.
50: Although it's still all the Americans, who are maintaining control but can't quite manage to finish, the Swedes manage to kick the ball around at the other end before giving up a goal kick. So far just more kicking about. I will say I like the way that Thorrington plays: he's everywhere and is willing to give up his body (which is what you'd hope for from a 29-year-old journeyman earning his fourth cap).
54: Sweden can't manage to keep the ball in play, and the U.S. are just slightly better.
56: And Thorrington takes a presumptuous shot from 30 yards out that's well wide. So much for him playing within himself.
60: Let me tell you about Sweden, only country where the clouds are interesting, big brother says it's place to go, too much time to think too little to do. Yellow card to Danny Califf on a very late challenge.
61: Chris Rolfe on for Thorrington. Sweden makes a sub too, not that it really matters. Bretos says that the US will be fielding a top team for the Confederations Cup. Great.
68: Well, this game has descended into tedium. Sweden almost get an open play on goal but the American defenders close. That's about the most exciting thing that's happened in a while. Oh, and Kenny Cooper kicked the ball into a defender.
69: Rolfe does his best Gerrard impression and kicks the ball into the stands behind the net. Brian Carroll on for Rogers.
73: Shambolic defending leads to a freekick just outside the box. But Kljestan can't get the hattrick, he kicks the ball straight at the goalkeeper.
74: GOAL SWEDEN! 2-1. Nice cross and bad defending by Bornstein gives Nannskog a classy header.
75: GOAL USA! 3-1. Kljestan hattrick! Set up beautifully by Brian Ching, who uses his body to control the ball and set up Kljestan. That should help his standing with Celtic.
76: Oof Sweden get a shot on goal to almost pull one back. Eddie Gaven on for Brian Ching, who had a good game. I just wonder if Brian Ching can ever manage to play as well when it isn't against lower competition. Just askin'.
79: Kljestan goes for a fourth, but it's blocked by a defender. Chris Wingert on for Bornstein.
82: And we're back to shambolic play. Lots of bodies flying and no concerted possession by either side.
82: Ihemelu for Parkhurst. And FSC has some stupid fact about how Kljestan is only the second player to score his first three national team goals via a hattrick.
86: I have no idea who some of these American subs are and, by the way they're playing, I think I now know why.
87: Ihemulu clears a soft shot off the line. Things are a bit ragged now.
89: GOAL SWEDEN. 3-2. Right on cue. Another good cross, more poor defending, another good header. Swedish subs are outplaying the American subs.
90: Long distance strike by the Americans, and now it's back into the American half before the ref calls a free kick. Three minutes of extra time for the U.S. to kill off.
92: Oh Kenny Cooper. He has a breakaway and only the goalie to beat, but drags it wide and doesn't have the speed or the skill to get past the keeper. It's end to end at the, uh, end.
FULL TIME. USA 3, SWEDEN 2. Pretty much what you would expect. Poor game, Sacha Kljestan was the star, Brian Ching and Marvel Wynne both played well, and most of the American fringe players deserve to remain on the fringe. Thanks for wasting a perfectly good Saturday evening with me!
Welcome to another edition of UF After Dark. It's where we take a look at the dirtier, seamier side of the sport we love. And it always involves women. Or, in this case, girls. Don't follow? Keep reading. Sweden is a wonderful place. It's where you can place a camera in a women's restroom and have the courts declare it's not a crime. Got a baby? You don't have to name that sumbitch for months. Then, there's the moose, the stupid o with the diagonal through it, the umlauts and, most importantly, the women.
Swedish women. Two things about them. One, they love to dress up. Two, they love to be photographed while dressed up. Now, we have all seen it when they go to a sporting event. Radiant, rosy-cheeked lasses decked out in blue and gold. Perhaps this link will jog your memory, if you are having trouble recalling.
But the Euros were so last summer. It's winter now. Why am I bringing up the willingness to pose of Swedish women? Because, my friends, a Swedish women's team has released a calendar, it's themed, there is controversy, and I have a slideshow. Good enough?
First of all, the team. Emtunga and Tråvad are a team in Sweden, located 60 miles northwest of Gothenburg. That's it, that's all I got. It's not that important.
Now, the calendar. Yes, it's themed. Themed in that the ladies are shown participating in other sports. Sometimes, it's in athletic wear. And sometimes, it's in an odd mishmash of formal wear and sport. Doesn't sound too oddball, but it is controversial.
The controversy comes from some of the female's ages. It seems that this is an all-inclusive team, with ages running from 43 on the upper end to 15 on the lower end. Chris Hansen has already been alerted to your presence in this thread.
But it's all okay, you see. The girls wanted to do it. No coercion whatsoever. And those under 18 had to have their parent's permission. So all the bases are covered then. Now you can go and look at the pics. I'm partial to photo 7 myself.
This post, my friends is going to be a mess. As long as you know that going in, we'll all be okay. Inside, we will break down each competing country's home and away jersey and file it into the categories Good, Bad and WTF. Pretty simple, huh? For ease of my poorly HTMLing soul, I will only provide links to each shirt instead of trying to force them all into the Blogger template. Trust me, if you've seen how Blogger can mangle posts by screwing up pictures, this is a good thing.
Onwards and upwards, my friends. Here we go. Group A SwitzerlandHome Away Switzerland wear Puma jerseys. In what will quickly become a theme in this post, Puma jerseys all look cookie-cutter. They have a template, switch colors where necessary, and affix the necessary badges. Boring. What I like about the Swiss shirt is the badge. That kind of artsy rendering of their national association where they also fit in the white cross. However, these are Puma jerseys, so the verdict is: Home and Away: Bad Czech RepublicHome Away Plain. Boring. Go home. I do like the blue piping on the home shirt, and the Czech badge is one of the more interesting entries, full of history, for those into that. But it is simply not enough to overcome the crappiness of being a Puma shirt. Home and Away: Bad PortugalHome Away There is something wrong with the Portugal home shirt. We here at UF could not quite put our finger on it, but we hate it. It could be the wrong hue, or it could just be the too tight fit. We hated it all the same. On the other hand, we were much more sympathetic to the white shirt. It looks a lot better, but, in the end, we found it a little plain. Home and Away: Bad TurkeyHome Away Now we're talking. It may still be a hangover from their unbelievable victory over the Czechs on Sunday, but these are both very nice shirts. The home shirt can look a little like a 'Boro effort, I'm sure, but it dazzles nonetheless. And that away shirt, my goodness. Two teams made solid use of baby blue accents this tournament, and Turkey is one of them. Home and Away: Good
Group B AustriaHomeAway A mixed bag. Once again, we are stuck with Puma templates, but Austria does something a little right here. It's not in the home shirt, really, though it should rate a "meh" instead of its final grade. The winner here is the away shirt. Menacingly black with a little flag flair thrown in at the collar. Home: Bad; Away: Good CroatiaHomeAway Did we even get to see the all-checkerboard shirt yet? I don't recall. You have to give them respect for sticking with such and irritating-to-the-eyes shirt for all of these years. As for the blue away shirt, man, I don't know. And for that, it perfectly fits the WTF category. Safe to say I would not want to sport either one of these walking around my town. Home and Away: WTF? GermanyHomeAway Poor Germany. Forever saddled with a white shirt that they are not entirely happy with, so they fuck around with it. This year's entry feels unbalanced. Too much black in the striping, not enough red or yellow. At least it keeps us away from the away shirt. Seriously, this is not a look for top tier international football. This is a training top. Even though I kind of like the gold stitching on the black background, I hope they never have to wear it. Home: Bad; Away: WTF? PolandHomeAway Poland, the home of unattractive football. They never looked good playing in the Euros, and these shirts did not help. Blandest of them all. Home and Away: Bad
Group C RomaniaHomeAway Romania's shirts this year felt like a throwback to USA '94. Sadly, the team did not perform in the same manner. The worst part of it all is that they totally rip off the New York Cosmos badge. Anyway, 14 years is too soon to do a throwback jersey. Well, I write that, but I can't hate on the home jersey. I like it. Home: Good; Away: Bad FranceHomeAway I am not a fan of the extra crap going across the middle of the French home shirt. They do, however, get credit with me by having their flag pop up inside the adidas stripes on the arms. Throw in that nice, newish badge of the rooster and you have a winner. God help me, I like the garish red away shirt as well. Two winners. Home and Away: Good NetherlandsHomeAway The Dutch are always hard to figure out. They have to use that bright orange which pays homage to a royal family line that no one likes. Sometimes they pull it off, and sometimes it is painful. This tournament, they pulled it off, sometimes. The Dutch were the second team to tastefully use Nike's new baby blue accent by pairing the orange shirt with baby blue socks. And it totally worked. However, when they reverted to orange socks yesterday, it all looked horrible. Also, nice try, but you can't work in your flag on the collar without it looking like you won First Grade attendance medals. As for the away shirt, it divides us. But, I'm the one writing here, and I hate it. So, there you go. We do seem to be unified in liking the cyborg numbering though. Home: Good, with qualifications; Away: WTF? ItalyHomeAway Italy stick with the basics. Once again, this is a Puma top, but it's not quite as bad as the red and white ones. This gets a passing grade for the gold at the neck. The away jersey, though, is run of the mill and boring. Home: Good; Away: Bad
Group D SpainHomeAway I think we were a bit undecided by these. The home jersey is nothing out of the ordinary, but it works well. That light gold away shirt, though, is rather atrocious. Hopefully, Spain will not be required to trot it out on their way to winning this year's tournament. Home: Good; Away: WTF? RussiaHomeAway These had potential, especially the away shirt, but the execution is off. I am all for integrating you nation's flag into the shirt. I don't like it when doing so means that I have to fill in the blanks for you. The white shirt loses the top stripe of the flag and the red shirt loses the bottom stripe of the flag. Why not go with a blue away shirt so that one can easily make out the flag running across the torso? Nike FAIL. Home: Bad; Away: WTF? Greece HomeAway Thanks for coming and bringing the same kit from 2004. Did you think that would work? Okay, the sublimated flag print on the away shirt is nice, but no dice. Home and Away: Bad SwedenHomeAway It's always tough to deal with the Swedish shirts. The combo of yellow and blue is a nice one, but they just use too much yellow sometimes. If only I could get a reason to really like a bunch of yellow Swedish shirts. Oh, here's one. The away shirt is a tough one. In some pictures, it looks black, which would be a bold move, but in others it looks navy, which is kind of boring. Still, since Swedish girls will wear them and get pictured in them, they are both winners. Home and Away: Good
Spain and Sweden sit atop group D with 3 points apiece, but nobody is calling Sweden a tournament favorite. Why not? Because they looked only slightly better than Greece in their 2-0 opening victory and Greece was using the 4-corners offense in the first half. Only a sublime strike from Zlatan Ibrahimovic opened the match up now it's rumored that Sweden will bench Ibrahimovic and it is rumored Sweden will play for the draw against Spain. Wonderful, just wonderful.
The honor and burden of favorite belongs to Spain, who along with Holland and Portugal, have been putting on offensive showcases. David Villa scored the tournament's first hattrick since 2000 against Russia in a 4-1 victory. Probably the biggest issue Luis Aragones has managing the squad is how to get all of his offensive starpower on the pitch. Cesc Fabregas was only a substitute in the first match, but brought off Fernando Torres, who the media says was miffed with his benching.
After the jump...the lineups and other bonus material...
Oksana Andersson, fiancee of Christian Wilhelmsson
And we are greeted by the dulcet tones of Derek Rae and Tommy Smyth.
Not a single Spanish player singing the national anthem. I wonder if they have any political divisions in their country.
But, Sweden they all sing save for Ibrahimovic.
I can't get the stupid formatting right for the pictures above. Oh well, I'm sure nobody noticed.
0:00 Sweden with the kick.
1:00 Early foul by Spain and the kick gets to Ibrahimovic in the box but his touch is poor. Torres on the counter gets in close but his cross is intercepted.
4:00 That's a stern looking ref. Not quite Ed Hochuli but close. Iniesta's shot goes high and left. He should have done better.
6:00 Mike Georger informs me that Spain's national anthem, La Marcha, has no lyrics. Lame.
7:00 There were about 6 passes in sequence where the ball never touched the ground. Interesting, but it doesn't amount to anything.
9:00 Nice counter by Sweden after Sergio Ramos went forward, but Ljungberg couldn't do anything with it but put a weak shot on goal.
13:00 The Swedes are tackling tough at the outset trying to knock the Spaniards around and off their game a bit.
14:00 Goal!!! Torres. 1-0 Spain. Villa wins a corner. Xavi plays it short to Silva at the top of the box and puts a shot in the box that Torres deflects into the goal. Yeah for my fantasy team.
15:00 Sweden almost immediately counters when Larsson laid it off to a streaking Elmander who can only put into the side netting.
21:00 Just a bunch of midfield possession with attempts into the box headed away by the Swedish big men.
22:00 Gets free in the box on a nice ball from Ibrahimovic but Larsson couldn't chip the keep.
24:00 Albiol on for Puyol who looks injured. This could be trouble for Spain since they already have a suspect backline.
28:00 Foul on Senna, which is a nice segue to this, my favorite Senna picture.
33:00 Tommy Smyth says Elmander can score as a striker but isn't sure he can score as a midfielder.
34:00 Goal!! Ibrahimovic 1-1.
Not the prettiest goals, but a Sweden middie defender, Stoor, crossed the ball into the 6 yard box perfectly to Ibrahimovic who had beaten Ramos. It looked like Ibrahimovic had squandered it with a poor touch but he powered through it and squeaked it past Casillas.
38:00 Villa puts a strong volley in on Isaakson but he covers it.
40:00 Sweden looks a lot better this match than it did against Greece. Although, that is not too difficult.
44:00 That was a nice play between Ljungberg and Elmander who laid it off right outside the box to Ljungberg who found Elmander on a run but the Spanish defense just got a boot in to break it up.
45:00 One added minute.
Iniesta was just leveled in the box by Elmander but no call. Incredible.
Tweet. Tweet. And, the Spaniards swarm the ref. You would have thought it was a Chelsea match.
Well, this has been a great match of contrasting styles. Spain was dominant at first but Sweden is finding their spots on the counter. Great match so far. See you in a few.
Ha! That MLB apparel commercial was funny. So authentic, a fat white guy is mistaken for a fat hispanic guy.
Apparently, on his day off Sergio Ramos was photographed in a disco with a Swedish fan. This might explain his defense in the first half. The picture published in a Swedish tabloid, Aftonbladet, is below. [Photo Credit: Aftonbladet]
46:00 Start of Second Half and I just took a P'zone. That's an Italian piss for the uninitiated.
Markus Rosenberg on for Ibrahimovic. Wow. At least they are getting production from him while injured. I am impressed by his performance while injured.
51:00 So that's Sweden's strategy? Just hack the Spanish defenders until they can't play. That sounds like something Mexico might try.
53:00 Marchenna is booked after a professional foul that slowed up Elmander on a run into free space.
55:00 Svensson is booked after a emmy worthy performance by Silva. See Kathrine Heigl Silva can earn honors even with substandard material.
56:00 Xavi with a corner that gets headed up high and Ramos, the genius, attempts a bicycle in traffic.
58:00 Fabregas on for Xavi. Iniesta off for Cazorla.
60:00 Ljungberg making a midmatch footwear change. Always the fashion model.
63:00 Somehow Spain didn't score. Villa sends a rocket in on Isaakson who spills it and Villa follows it but Isaakson stones him again, catching a knee in the face, and then Torres gets a clean shot but it's blocked by a Swedish player for a corner. The corner is not fruitful.
68:00 Senna lasers a shot from 35 and Isaakson dives to his right for the save but concedes the corner. Ramos gets a head on the corner but never had a chance.
71:00 I think 2:45 of the last 3:00 minutes have been in Sweden's half of the field.
75:00 What was the purpose of the slow motion gape of Aragones? To scare the hell out of me. I was wondering where the fly was.
76:00 Cazorla nearly picked out Silva in the box but Isaakson dove and picked it out cleanly with Silva near.
78:00 The match has really bogged down with Sweden mucking up the middle and Spain unable to unlock it.
79:00 Elmander off and Sebasion Larsson on.
Nearly a goal off of the set-piece. Svenssen was picked out and flashed the ball across the face of the goal just out of the reach of Henrik Larsson. So close.
83:00 David Villa bowls over the Swedish defender to get the ball and then doesn't know what he did and gets out his handbag.
86:00 Torres picks out Ramos on the edge of the box, but Ramos fails. Sweden concedes a corner. Henrik Larsson off for Kim Kallstrom.
89:00 Torres whips one in on Isaakson from 18 but the save was made. Needed to be higher and not a ground sweeper.
90:00 3 additional minutes.
90:00 +2 GOAL!! David Villa. 2-1 Spain. Incredible. Sweden's defense played so well for 90 minutes but just made a hash of it by Hansson and Villa beats Isaakson nicely.
Tweet. Tweet. Tweet.
Just a heartbreaker for Sweden. They played so well for the entire match to lose it in stoppage time. So organized for the entire match, but failure in the end.
In an hour, Greece takes on Russia...we'll have a liveblog of it as well.
Having managed to finagle enough time at lunch to watch The Torres n' Villa Show, I've discovered that I have a rather unhappy knack of leaving the TV area some 20 seconds before or after a goal. Rushing round the office floor, I'd get into Hirshey's office just in time to see the goal celebrations and slow-mo replay, or I'd leave to go back to work right before a moment of brilliance.
This was confirmed during the late game, as I missed Ibrahimovic's wonder strike and Hansson's bundle of joy by a matter of moments.
Still, we were treated to 100 minutes of quality football (there were about 8 minutes of compelling football in the Greece/Sweden match) and we've barely gotten into the tournament schedule.
ESPN must be thanking its lucky stars.
Also thankful: Valencia, who must have watched in glee as Villa's sublime hat-trick added about 6-8 million pounds to his eventual transfer fee.
Without further ado: Spain 4 (Villa 20", 45", 75", Fabregas 90") Russia 1 (Pavlyuchenko 86")
The Russians, led by the grim efficiency of Guus Hiddink, were up for the challenge, but Spain were simply brilliant on the counter, and made the most of their chances.
I particularly loved Torres' unselfishness to slide a certain goal-bound shot to his teammate Villa for the first goal, outhustling Denis Kolodin and squaring the ball for a routine tap-in.
It was a total team performance by Spain, although the Russians were unlucky to walk away with such a dismal scoreline. They played open, positive football and created several chances with their pace and tireless workrate. Pavlyushenko was a menace up front despite being tactically isolated by Guus in that f*cking 4-5-1 formation, and he deserved his goal. Zyryanov was unlucky not to equalize at 1-1 as his sharp shot rattled back off Casillas' post, and Bilyaletdinov had his moments.
However, Spain deserved their honors, but given the general style of play in the late match, Hiddink will not be concerned about having to play catch-up with his focused Russian squad.
Greece 0 Sweden 2 (Ibrahimovic 67", Hansson 73")
What an awful fucking match. I'd have rather watched Derby County v. Sunderland instead of this mess. Greece sauntered into the tournament with the same deadlock, unimaginative tactics that snoozed them to victory in 2004, and this time, thank the heavens above, it was punished by a plucky, persistent Swedish squad that's equally awful to watch.
Aside from Ibrahimovic, a man not known for his pedigree in the biggest occasions, there aren't many household names amid the lineup. Instead, just a few bearded blue-eyed, blond-haired workhorses who simply wouldn't quit.
Considering the tone of the first half, it became abundantly clear that it would require a flash of brilliance to shake the game to life, and Zlatan undoubtedly provided that with his snapshot from Larsson's return pass. The second goal was embarrassing as a goalline scramble left Hansson to chest the ball across the line.
Greece were shit, and deserved to lose. I am so thankful that their lack of creativity was finally exposed, although if Zlatan had caught that ball a fraction of a second later, we could have been staring down the barrel of our second 0-0 bore draw.
Unfortunately, in every tournament, you have teams just there to make up the numbers. Normally, my England side fulfills that role nicely, but in this group, Greece and Sweden are serious pretenders. I'd throw Austria in the mix, but at least they're expending the energy of co-hosting this fucking thing. What did Greece bring with them? Five o'clock shadows and cases of ouzo?
----- Euro Trash roundup:
First Austrian to score in Euro '08 gets a lifetime's supply of beer [Soccernet] Modric to miss the next match with a hurt achilles? [TSN] Emre out for Turkey in crucial match against Switzerland [Soccernet] England is playing a role in Euro '08, although God, I wish they weren't [AdFreak] The Euro '08 All-WAG XI.... simply brilliant [The Spoiler]
Greece opens the defense of its 2004 Euro Championship against Sweden. Unfortunately, Greece will not have the element of surprise in its favor. Teams will not underestimate them. Fortunately, they face Sweden, a team lacking in offensive creativity. For sure, the Swedes are well organized and industrious, but verve fails them. That is not to say they aren't quality, they just aren't Spain, Germany or Holland.
Inter striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic leads the Swedes and is a world-class striker but may suffer without support. I don't know a damn thing about Greece, other than they play a stifling, defensive game. So, this could be a snoozer of a match. I say 1-0 Sweden.
Today's installment of UF's Euro 2008 preview brings you fair readers the blonde hair and blue-eyed Nords from the Kingdom of Sweden. The land of the Swedish Bikini Team, lutefisk, the Swedish Chef, and IKEA. I volunteered to write up the preview not out of any allegiances, but to merely post the picture to the right.
Sweden has never won a major tournament but is a perennial qualifier. The country has produced world class talent, but has only finished as high as runner-up and third-place in the 1958 and 1994 World Cups, respectively. Sweden qualified for Euro 2008 second in its group behind Spain.
Qualifying was not without significant events. During its match against Denmark, a Danish fan attacked the referee after he red carded a Dane. Denmark forfeited the match as a result.
Heading into Euro 2008, Sweden has significant injury issues. Starting defender Erik Edman is out with an ACL tear; perennially injured and highly talented Zlatan Ibrahimovic is struggling with fitness; and, captain cum underwear model cum midfielder Freddy Llungberg (if forced to choose, I would take Freddy over Becks, but since I am not forced let's forget I ever said anything)is battling a rib injury.
I couldn't seem to locate much about the expected squad but below was the team called up for a recent friendly against Brazil.
Goalkeepers - Andreas Isaksson, Manchester City; Rami Shaaban, Hammarby
Defenders - Daniel Majstorovic, Basel; Olof Mellberg, Aston Villa; Mikael Nilsson, Panathinaikos; Erik Edman, Wigan; Fredrik Risp, Ankarastor; Fredrik Stoor, Rosenborg
Midfielders - Niclas Alexandorsson, IFK Göteborg; Daniel Andersson, MFF; Kim Källström, Lyon; Christian Wilhelmsson, Deportivo; Anders Svensson, Elfsborg; Sebastian Larsson, Birmingham; Kennedy Bakircioglü, Ajax; Fredrik Ljungberg, West Ham
Attackers - Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Inter; Johan Elmander, Toulouse; Marcus Allbäck, FC Köpenhamn; Marcus Rosenberg, Werder Bremen.
Ibrahimovic is probably the Swede's best player, but without a strong midfield he isn't the type to put a team on his back. Unfortunately, Sweden doesn't have the imperious midfielder Ibrahimovic needs. So, on to the pertinent questions.
(1) Could England beat this team? Of course. England is one of the top squads in the world filled with talented players, who never perform up to standard in meaningful matches. So, England could beat the team in a friendly but would have trouble in a tournament.
(2) Can Sweden win Euro 2008? Well, they have a better chance than England. But, so does everybody else. It would require an incredible run of luck. Joining Sweden in Group D are Spain, Russia and the defending champs. My money is on Spain topping the group, with the other three battling it out for the other spot. Greece will not surprise anybody this time and Russia probably doesn't have the talent to advance. So, Sweden has a good chance to reach the knockout stages.
(3) What is the squad's pre-made excuse for not winning Euro 2008? Injuries and talent.
(4) What is the biggest question mark surrounding the team? As in most cases, it is whether they can play together well as a team. There is moderate talent on the squad, they just need to play well together to advance.
(5) Who is their worst player? Who knows? Certainly not me.
UPDATE - 5/14/08: Sweden has named its Euro 2008 squad and has a surprise callup of Henrik Larsson who had retired from international football after the 2006 World Cup.
Goalkeepers: Andreas Isaksson (Man. City, England), Rami Shaaban (Hammarby), Johan Wiland (Elfsborg)
Defenders: Olof Mellberg (Aston Villa, England), Petter Hansson (Rennes, France), Mikael Nilsson (Panathinaikos, Greece), Niclas Alexandersson (IFK Gothenburg), Andreas Granqvist (Helsingborg), Daniel Majstorovic (FC Basel, Switzerland), Fredrik Stoor (Rosenborg, Norway), Mikael Dorsin (CFR Cluj, Romania)
Midfielders: Tobias Linderoth (Galatasaray, Turley), Daniel Andersson (Malmo), Anders Svensson (Elfsborg), Kim Kallstrom (Lyon, France), Christian Wilhelmsson (Deportivo Coruna, Spain), Fredrik Ljungberg (West Ham, England), Sebastian Larsson (Birmingham City, England)
Forwards: Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Inter Milan, Italy), Johan Elmander (Toulouse, France), Marcus Allback (FC Copenhagen, Denmark), Markus Rosenberg (Werder Bremen, Germany), Henrik Larsson (Helsingborg).
How good was that Swedish team? No Ibrohimovic. No Kallstrom. No Mellberg. But Sweden manager Lars Lagerbäck did note that, after their match against Costa Rica a few days prior, the squad had about 2/3 of the side that he would roll out for Euro 2008. So this wasn't the Swedish B-team.
Not bad considering by and large, the USMNT was B and maybe even B-minus in a couple of spots. And we got the result. It wasn't impressive. It wasn't ugly. But it's the kind of thing that separates countries that advance in major cup competitions and the US of recent past.
The three most obvious things worth singling out, they are all damned obvious:
1) Landycakes. How appropriate that Donovan's record tying or record setting goal (can we all get on the same page about the Denmark match?) came from a PK. If you're already the American that even the Americans love to hate, don't put on bright orange shoes that scream "I'm either gay or Dutch."
2) Guzan. Great, the one position we already didn't have to worry about, we can now worry about even less. Howard, Hahnemann, Guzan. While Howard is clearly the #1 right now, does any American soccer fan sweat it if we have to go to the pine? When the Swedes threatened to equalize late in the first half and seize momentum going into the break, Guzan was almost always in good position and he came up with the saves when they needed to be made. A clean sheet is a clean sheet. Get thee to Europe, my man.
3) Brad Davis. Not great but good enough on set pieces. Better than what Donovan's been giving the USMNT. Davis earned more time on the pitch. Now if we could just get some more dangerous strikers on the other end of the service.
As for the negatives. Bradley seems content to err on the side of a defensive midfield. That'll fly in CONCAF qualifying but it's never going to get us past the first round of the knockout stages in South Africa. Is it too much to ask this country to produce one Cesc Fabregas? If it is, we'll settle for, say, an Elano or even a couple of Tim Cahills.
Then there is Twellman. Enough already. The guy has been prolific in MLS but rather lackluster in the National Team kit. He's also going to be almost 30 by the time of the next World Cup. Why start him over Altidore? The second the Haitian Sensation was in the match, the Swedes had to account for his speed. His first touch produced a penalty and subsequent touches cost the Swedes yellow cards.
There seems to be a general hesitancy at US Soccer to throw youth into the fire. Bruce Arena was irritatingly consistent in this regard. It was almost like you had to be able to drink to get on the pitch under his reign. But Bradley seems peculiarly similar in his hesitancy to go young early (unless a player's surnmane just happens to be 'Bradley'). Can someone explain this? Is it a larger strategy coming out of the 'brain trust' in Chicago?
The previously mentioned Fabregas is all of 20. Messi was 19 during the last World Cup. And wasn't Michael Owen 18 or 19 when he emerged as a potential star for England during the 1998 Cup? Play Adu, play Alitdore. Play them now. You can't coach speed. Speed kills. Speed doesn't go into a slump. Etc. Etc.
And if they are the real deal, US Soccer will know they are in great shape up front for not one, but two and maybe three Cup qualifying cycles.
Landon is excited to score some more meaningless goals
In what has become a January "tradition" the USA is playing Sweden on Saturday night at the Home Depot Center in LA suburbia. Because its not an official FIFA date, United States will field mostly MLS players, who have been in camp for the past couple of weeks, while the Swedes will counter with an all-domestic side of their own. So no Zlatan, no Clint Dempsey, no Freddy Adu, which is why the the Home Depot Center will probably be half full. I implore all of you to get drunk and go after the birds instead of staying home to watch what is almost always one of the most turgid affairs of the year. These two played to a rather boring 1-0 decision in Gotheburg in September with full strength sides, so at least this game should be a little more wide open with the second teamers.
Based on who has been at camp, and taking into account the fact that EJ is in London finalizing his transfer to relegation-bound Fulham, here's the starting lineup I see from the US:
Actually, a quick look to see Jozy, Parkhurst, and Edu might be in order, but once the second half starts and the MLS all star bench rolls in, its time to change the channel.
Read more on "USA-Sweden this weekend"...
William Shatner: not a fan of Swedish soccer
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