Three strengths of the Swedish National team and two weaknesses

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Sweden will face England in their first World Cup quarter-final appearances since USA 1994 when the two teams meet in Samara on Saturday evening.

This tournament has so far been an unheralded success for Janne Andersson’s side who won their group, which also included reigning champions Germany, despite possessing a side with lacking any “world class” talent.

They have managed to progress using defensive solidity as their foundation and great team spirit at their core.

With that in mind here are three strengths of the Swedish National team and two weaknesses.

Strengths

Teamwork

If there is one thing you can say about Sweden it’s that they work as a team. They work very hard as a unit making it difficult for the opposition to create chances against them.

The key organiser on the pitch is big defender Andreas Granqvist who has been immense throughout the tournament so far for the Swedes.

His ability in the air has been matched by his cool head from the spot and the man leads by example helping other around him stay calm even if the pressure is mounting.

The team are always backing each other up with Xherdan Shiqiri often finding himself double-marked during their Round of 16 victory.

Since Zlatan Ibrahimovic retired from the national team, they have replaced their individual star by placing a greater emphasis on the collective and it has been the key to their success.

In an interview with World Soccer magazine Andersson admitted that his team didn’t boast the most talented 11 in the world but made up for it in other areas:

“Sweden won’t have the best 11 individual players in the world. The most important thing for us is to be a good team and work hard together, work hard for each other.”

If England are to breakthrough then they will have to be patient. Sweden have kept three clean-sheets in their four matches so far – that is as many as their last 24 World Cup matches combined.

Defensive organisation

Not only are Sweden organised and hard to break down but their defensive ability in general is impressive. This starts with their goalkeeper Robin Olsen who has been an underrated star of this team.

The goal he conceded against Germany in the group match was his first in 548 minutes of action prior to this.

He is protected by a resolute back-line that has successfully defended 31 corners during the course of their four games so far; 11 of those were against Switzerland in the Round of 16 victory.

They will be hoping to continue this record against England who consider set-pieces to be one of their key weapons.

Sweden also prevent their opponents from creating momentum which was highlighted by comments made by the Swiss coach.

Following Switzerland’s Round of 16 defeat to Sweden on Tuesday the Swiss manager Vladimir Petkovic said:

“All the games Sweden have been involved in, their opponents have had a difficult time developing the emotions and momentum you need.”

This sums up what awaits England in the quarter-final: a side that makes it very difficult for their opponent.

The fact that they rank only above Belgium among the quarter-finalists for tackles won (50) despite surrendering so much possession suggests they are less likely to engage, maintaining a rigid structure that invites pressure but for the most part is well equipped to deal with it.

No team in the last eight has made more blocks (13) or more clearances (122) than Sweden, evidence of their preference to sit back instead of applying any press.

Janne Andersson’s tactical plan

Andersson was put under pressure to try and be more expansive prior to the World Cup but he flatly refused to entertain the idea.

The 4-4-2 that he uses has seen the nation of Sweden defeat Italy in a play-off without conceding over the two legs and keep three clean-sheets in their first four matches of the tournament in Russia.

He knows what the strengths of his side are and uses a system that not only suits his personnel but is also a style that the players are used to.

His classic 4-4-2 allows the team to attack in a few different variations but when it comes to defending it is the standard two lines of four that make it so hard for opponents to break down.

Weaknesses

Marcus Berg

One player that has not taken his chances at this World Cup is Sweden’s Marcus Berg.

The striker has had some amazing chances to find the net yet has been unable to make any of them count; the No.9 has been presented with four big chances at the World Cup and has failed to score from each of them.

His opportunity in the opening game against South Korea will go down in the history books as a brilliant save by Hyun-woo Cho but it really should have been a goal.

Berg also missed a great chance against Switzerland and it is no surprise that is 13 efforts without scoring is the most amount of shots without a goal at the World Cup.

The lack of a cutting edge

Sweden have hardly been prolific yet they have scored in every match so far. It is fair to say that they have relied on their defence to get them through some tough situations rather than their ability to outscore opponents.

This is highlighted by the fact that their goal against South Korea, which came from the penalty spot, was their first in 402 minutes of international football. It was also the first time they had won their opening match at a World Cup since their 3-0 over Mexico in 1958.

They have created 38 chances in Russia so far, one fewer than England, but have only scored six goals compared to England’s nine.

They also lack an out-and-out goal-scorer. Harry Kane has six so far for England but the two goals that Andreas Granqvist has scored from the spot makes him the first Swede to score multiple goals in a single World Cup since Henrik Larsson got three in 2002.

Emil Forsberg is considered to be their stand-out talent yet he has only scored one in 14 shots – a success rate of just 7.14% – whilst only creating three chances for his teammates.

Compare this to Harry Kane and the contrast is stark; the England captain Kane has scored from all six of his shots on target so far.

One thing that will really test this Sweden side is if they fall behind. They struggle to play in the opposition half and rarely dominate possession.

They averaged just 38% of the ball in their group games and this fell to 33% against Switzerland in their Round of 16 win. They have also proven to be wasteful with what possession they do have.

Sweden have the worst pass accuracy of any quarter-finalist in the opponents’ half too (64.24%).  The average is 76% – with England’s at 79% – so should Gareth Southgate’s side edge in front it could prove to be a massive task for Andersson’s men to work their way back into the game.

Their win against Switzerland saw them win back-to-back games at a World Cup for the first time since 1958 – it remains to be seen whether they can make it three in a row.

The post Three strengths of the Swedish National team and two weaknesses appeared first on Squawka News.



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