Swedes inspired

Europe's top qualifier ready to face 'Group of Death'

STOCKHOLM, Sweden (AP) -- Argentina, England and Nigeria.

Facing those teams in the toughest World Cup is inspiring, says Tommy Soderberg, one of Sweden's two coaches in the World Cup finals.

Why not?

"Sure, we're in a difficult group, the toughest of them all," says Soderberg, who's leading Sweden with co-coach Lars Lagerback to the Scandinavian country's 10th World Cup. "But it's a challenge that we're looking forward to."

Southampton's Anders Svensson, a possible midfield starter, agrees.

"Of course it's inspiring," he says. "This is the toughest possible group. To be involved in games like this is the biggest thing you can experience as a soccer player. We're absolutely not the underdog."

Svensson is probably right.

This may be a surprise to many soccer fans, but it's a fact: Statistics show that Sweden -- a small country of nine million people in northern Europe where it's virtually impossible to play soccer outdoors for nearly five months of the year during the winter -- was Europe's top team in the qualifying rounds of Euro 2000 and World Cup 2002.

Unbeaten in 18 qualifiers during a span that started with a 1-1 Euro 2000 qualifying draw against England in Stockholm on Sept. 5, 1998, Sweden topped UEFA's coefficient list based on the last two qualifying periods. Ahead of such greats as France -- which didn't have to qualify as defending World Cup champion -- Germany, Italy, Spain and England.

Awesome!

"It was probably the best period in Swedish soccer history results-wise," says Sune Hellstromer, Secretary General of the Swedish Soccer Association.

With 20 goals, the Swedes were also one of the top offensive teams in Europe in World Cup qualifying.

Looking at the possible starting lineup in the World Cup, defense is strong with Coventry's Magnus Hedman in goal and FC Barcelona's Patrik Andersson -- arguably one of the world's top central defenders -- the key player in the four-back line with Glasgow Celtic's Johan Mjallby the other centerback.

Hedman, a third-string goalie when Sweden captured a bronze-medal in the 1994 World Cup finals in the United States for its last major soccer accomplishment, had an amazing nine straight shutouts -- counting friendlies -- last year before giving up one goal each in the last two away qualifiers.

Andersson, the 30-year-old Swedish captain and one of only four survivors from the 1994 bronze-medal team, might come game-rusty to the World Cup as he is recovering from knee surgery Feb. 19. But he'll still be an asset to the team.

He had a dream season last year when he was awarded the Golden Ball as Sweden's Player of the Year for the second time in his career -- and 24 years after his father Roy got it.

Nearly a year ago, Patrik Andersson clinched Bayern Munich's Bundesliga title with a late freekick goal; then helped his former club team win the Champions Cup final a few days later.

The Swedish midfield could feature two, perhaps even three Everton players, if 1994 World Cup veteran Jesper Blomqvist retains his place after a successful comeback in a 1-1 friendly draw with Switzerland in March following a three-year absence due to injuries. The other Everton midfielders are Niclas Alexandersson and Tobias Linderoth.

Up front, Sweden has the most lethal goalscorer in Europe.

Henrik Larsson, a backup striker in 1994 who scored one goal in the bronze-medal game at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, accepted the Golden Shoe by countryman and UEFA president Lennart Johansson as Europe's top goalscorer with a record-tying 35 goals for Scottish champions Celtic Glasgow last season.

The Swedes have a historical edge going into the World Cup games in Japan against England at Saitama on June 2; against Nigeria at Kobe on June 7 and against Argentina at Miyagi on June 12: they've beaten both Argentina and Nigeria in their only meetings, and haven't lost to England -- now coached by Sweden's Sven-Goran Eriksson -- in 33 years.

Sweden's best World Cup showing came as hosts in 1958, losing the final to Pele's Brazil 5-2 in Stockholm.

The country's other notable World Cup performances include two bronze medals (1950 and 1994); one fourth (1938) and one fifth place (1974).

 

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