Wahlberg: Sweden threw away victory – Aftonbladet

Sopron. shaky, nervy and sloppy.

Sweden threw away victory in the premiere and had a nightmare start to the European Championship.

Now it is up the hill as steep as two years ago.

It looked stable in two periods. But the European Championship in 2015 was a replay of 2013.

Sweden, however, began well.

Offensive swayed at times during the first half, but the defense held for the most part high class. Frida Eldebrinks defense of WNBA star Kristi Toliver was a textbook example and the few times she was beaten was someone else there and helped. Only when Elin Eldebrink tumbled managed the naturalized American woman to score.

rebounder, who was the great challenge before the game, won by Sweden 17-13 in the first half.

But it’s exclamation was Elisabeth Egnell. The forward sprained foot during the build-up to the European Championships – a nasty sprain that has disturbed her during the preparations.

The collapse came in third

When I talked to her yesterday, she was unsure of her shape.

– Charging has not been as I wanted. It has been a pain in the ass. One wants to be a big part. Everyone dreams of having these great games and be critical, she said then.

And the key was exactly what Egnell was in the first period. The star accounted for 14 points and was a big reason why Sweden was leading by 40-30.

But the third came the collapse.

There was not much that worked for Sweden either offensively or defensively

and Slovakia could do 23-13 in the period and take the game to 51-51.

The replay of the EM 2013

It was sloppy, nervy and above all frustrated.

Instead of raising their heads dropped the Swedish players them.

And rebounder, who has been under control in the first half, wrecked. Slovakia had to take eleven offensive rebounds in the final two periods, and of course it is far from being approved.

But when it was most needed, she stepped forward.

Frida Eldebrink is the one who should decide matches for Sweden and did their best to make it.

Shooting guard had only been 1/6 from the three-point line, but when Sweden was most pushed the star stepped in and sank two straight threes to 59-53.

The feeling was that Sweden would take back the game there.

So it was not.

The mistakes continued and frustration like so.

Slovakia got a little jerk with two minutes left, and the nightmare was a fact.

Sweden lost the premiere and everything feels like a rerun of the European Championship 2013 in Sweden fell against Italy.

The only thing gratifying is that we know what happened then.