Sweden upbeat despite Isaksson blow
The Sweden squad have only slowly recovered from the shock caused by an incident during training on Wednesday, when a fierce shot from Kim Kallstrom struck Andreas Isaksson at point-blank range.
The goalkeeper was knocked unconscious and will now miss his side's opening match against Trinidad and Tobago, with a longer period on the sidelines not ruled out.
"He can't remember anything at all. He was groggy and disoriented," team doctor Anders Valentin explained. Isaksson will probably have to rest for five or six days, so his presence against Paraguay on 15 June is also in doubt.
Star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic was quick to lament the big keeper¡¦s absence. "It's always sad when someone gets injured, and he's a goalkeeper of the highest calibre. I just hope he¡¦ll be fit to play against Paraguay, even though we have two other good goalkeepers."
However, neither of the replacement keepers have anything like the extensive international experience of Sweden's regular number one. Rami Shaaban, who plays for Fredrikstad in Norway, has only one international cap, while John Alvbage of Denmark's Viborg has just two.
Coach Lars Lagerback was not willing to reveal which of the two would be between the sticks in Sweden's opening match. "I already know who¡¦s going to play, but I don't want to make it public. I have a choice between two good goalkeepers.¡¨ Readers of Swedish tabloid Aftonbladet did not find the decision too difficult with 80 per cent voting for Shaaban in an online poll.
However, the fate of their first-choice goalkeeper has failed to dent the optimism flowing through the Swedish camp. "We have a good feeling in the team, and now I'm just waiting to get on to the field and play," Ibrahimovic declared. "The most important thing is that we work together as a team," he added, playing down his own role in the side.
Reunion with Beenhakker
Leo Beenhakker, coach of Sweden's opening game opponents Trinidad and Tobago, knows the Juventus striker very well from their days together at Ajax. ¡§He helped me a great deal when I arrived there as a young player. It¡¦s really great to see him again,¡¨ the striker smiled.
The match will also reunite Ibrahimovic¡¦s strike partner Henrik Larsson with T&T players Russell Latapy and Marvin Andrews, who he will have come up against in Glasgow 'Old Firm' derbies during his time with Celtic.
No-one in the Swedish camp is underestimating their Caribbean rivals: ¡§The first match is always the most important, and there¡¦s no justification for taking our opponents anything but seriously,¡¨ vowed Ibrahimovic, warning against any possible complacency.
The fiery forward was also clear as to the key to Swedish success: ¡§Against Trinidad and Tobago we simply have to get our usual game into gear, exactly as we did throughout the World Cup qualifiers.¡¨
Swedish strikers worry Beenhakker's new boys
Together with Larsson and Freddie Ljungberg, the lanky hit-man will be looking to confound the opposing defence with his speed and trickery. Lagerback himself is fully aware of the importance of his attacking trio: ¡§The three of them are critically important for our team because they have so much experience and have also played in the Champions League. But they¡¦re not the only reasons we¡¦re a strong team.¡¨
In the days leading up to the start of the FIFA World Cup, the Swedes have placed the emphasis on improving their teamwork, such a vital factor at big tournaments. Despite mixed results in warm-up matches, Lagerback is looking forward to the opening match with optimism. ¡§The 0-0 draw against Finland was not very good, but we did play without several key team members. In the 1-1 draw with Chile we played well in the first half.¡¨
The 57-year-old refuses to look too far ahead for the moment. ¡§Our first target is simply to reach the next round, and then we can look beyond that. On our day we can beat any team. Brazil are the big favourites, but around another ten other teams are capable of reaching the final, and we are one of them.¡¨
