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First test for the Swedish national team in World Cup Group B - by no means considered among the favorites, ranked 47th in the FIFA rankings, the smallest country represented in the tournament, the team of Trinidad and Tobago.
Trinidad and Tobago - Sweden Match start: 19:00 (Lithuanian time) Referee: Shamsul Maidin (Singapore)
Attire The Trinidad national team will start the match in red shirts and socks with black shorts. The Swedes, on the other hand, will look usual - the entire outfit shines in yellow.
Qualification Trinidad and Tobago finished fourth in the CONCACAF zone qualifying matches, leaving behind the likes of the USA, Mexico, and Costa Rica, so, according to the new rules, they had to play a qualification match against the Bahrain national team from Asia. The first match ended in a draw 1-1, and in the second, the representatives of the Americas secured a victory with a minimal result.
Swedes in the European qualifying zone won eight out of ten matches in their group and, although finishing second behind the Croatians, immediately qualified for the World Cup as the best second-placed team.
Key players and goals Trinidad and Tobago It can be said that the biggest dream of this national team has already come true. A state consisting of two islands, with just over a million people living there, unexpectedly made it to this championship and does not have major goals in it. Both the experienced coach from the Netherlands, Leo Beenhakker, and the players admit that even one victory in Germany would be a huge sensation.
The playing style of the smallest participants in the tournament somewhat resembles the English national team since even 15 players represent teams from Great Britain. However, only a few of them have tasted top-level football, as most play in lower divisions.
Although this is the debut appearance of the Trinidad and Tobago national team in the World Cup after 40 years of effort, enthusiastic and combative players, led by leaders like strikers Dwight Yorke and Russell Latapy, goalkeeper Shaka Hislop, will not be an easy target for any favorite.
Sweden Always considered among the national teams aiming for high results, the Swedish team will be highly dependent on three players - Henrik Larsson, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and Freddie Ljungberg. This trio, called the "Super Swedes," forms the main Scandinavian weapon - a powerful attacking machine. If they manage to act cohesively and reliably, the Swedes have a chance to reach the quarterfinals, and perhaps go even further.
Although traditionally Northern European teams are known for their good defense, the Swedes are among the most attacking teams among the old continent teams. The mentioned trio of players proved their true value in the last European Championship when, until the quarterfinal match against the Netherlands, which the Swedes lost, they scored six out of eight team goals. It is worth mentioning that the Swedes became the most prolific team in the zone of the old continent's qualifying matches for the World Cup, scoring 30 goals in 10 matches, and conceding only 4.
However, perhaps the biggest headache for the head coach Lars Lagerback - possible injuries. If any of these three players were to get injured, it is unlikely that the Swedes would be able to showcase their full potential. This was evident in a friendly match against Ireland last month when F. Ljungberg did not play, and Z. Ibrahimovic suffered an injury and left the field at the beginning of the match. The Swedes lost 3-0, and the attacking line clearly lacked finish, creativity, and its usual ease.
At that time, the weakest link in the team's defense also played unreliably, where, in case of injuries to Olaf Mellberg or Eric Edman, very large and difficult-to-close gaps would open.
Interestingly, this will be Sweden's tenth World Cup. The Scandinavians also have some achievements - in 1958 they stumbled only in the final, in 1938 and 1994 they lost in the semi-finals and remained without medals.
Losses Both teams did not avoid significant losses - Trinidad and Tobago will not be represented by Glasgow Rangers defender Marvin Andrews, who suffered a knee injury in one of the last training sessions.
Sweden will have to compensate for an even greater loss. One of the best goalkeepers in the country of all time, Andreas Isaksson, was diagnosed with a concussion, so the footballer will certainly not appear in the first match.
Head-to-head matches Trinidad and Tobago and Sweden met for the first and, so far, only time back in November 1983. At that time, in a friendly match, the Swedes easily demonstrated their superiority, winning the game 5-0.
Debutants In addition to Trinidad and Tobago, who are making their debut in the World Cup, Angola, Ivory Coast, Togo, Ukraine, and Ghana will also compete for the first time among the strongest national teams on the planet.
Pre-match opinions "I think many people will be surprised when they see what we can do in the World Cup," said L. Beenhakker.
"Of course, we are not favorites to win the cup, but we must be respected. Out of 196 teams who wanted to be here, we are among the 32 strongest.
"We want to surprise all the group opponents. After all, in football, two plus two not always, according to logic, equals four. Sometimes it's five. No one can be sure about victory, even favorites. It's quite simple - in football, everyone has a chance."
Meanwhile, the Swedish national team strategist L. Lagerback said: "The most important thing, especially at the beginning of the match, is not to let the opponents score. We have to play our game, maintaining a high pace.
"We are not a team full of stars, but we expect something more from Zlatan Ibrahimovic. He can alone change the course of the match, and I think the striker is now in excellent athletic shape, and this tournament could be the most successful in his career," emphasized the Swede talking about the leader.
Predicted starting lineups Trinidad and Tobago (4-4-2): 1-Shaka Hislop; 6-Dennis Lawrence, 4-Ian Cox, 3-Avery John, 8-Cyd Gray; 7-Chris Birchall, 9-Aurtis Whitley, 11-Carlos Edwards,15-Kenwyne Jones; 14-Stern John, 19-Dwight Yorke.
Sweden (4-4-2): 23-John Alvbage; 3-Olof Mellberg, 4-Teddy Lucic, 5-Erik Edman, 14-Fredrik Stenman; 6-Tobias Linderoth , 9-Fredrik Ljungberg, 21-Christian Wilhelmsson; 19-Daniel Andersson; 10-Zlatan Ibrahimovic, 11-Henrik Larsson.
