The 3-3 against Nigeria, 0-0 against the United States and 1-1 against Australia led to a quarter final against Sweden’s nightmare opponents Germany. Few bright spots in the game, but the more negative aspects of the group stage. Then played Germany out of the blue and gold for notes, and at home in Sweden people sat and wondered when that World Cup party would begin. Criticism of both Pia Sundhage and the players have been massive.
How Pia, how are you today, two and a half months after the World Cup exodus?
– Now it’s fine. We’ll play international soon, and then it’s fun.
Does the disappointment subsided?
– Yes, it has. After a lot of ifs and buts. It took time to deal with the emotions. But now we have given ourselves into the analysis, and I can actually feel that it is fun to sit and watch the games again. It is extremely important to move on.
What is the analysis so far?
– Among other things, we can conclude that the squad that we have taken into Today the European Championship qualifiers is healthy. It was not the World Cup. We had a number of football players who had not played a number of 90-minute matches, and that would in and play in a world championship. Of the premier division players had four played all 90 minutes matches. And then the two of them goalkeepers. There is no ideal preparation for a good performance at the World Cup. Now all whole and healthy and can do their best.
And the gameplay analysis?
– We were cautious. We usually talk about the playability. The players to want the ball, run, run past the ball carrier and have a desire to change the game. Had we had it so had our attacking game improved a lot. Our second half against Australia, it’s not our game idea is presented there. I think there was too much thought on defense title of the individual player. You do not want to make fools of themselves. And when they defend themselves at least. So instead of playing football, defense and attack, so it just became defense and perhaps some adjustment.
‘Enable’ otajmade ‘target’
It sounds like a mental problem, a caution and a lack of confidence?
– Yes … you could say mental about things, so I answer for it. But caution. Then of course we have opponents too, who put spokes in the wheel.
You changed the game system to 4-1-3-2, but just before the World Cup so did you change back to 4-4-2 again. Now it sounds like you are hesitant that it was a correct decision?
– Yes, the reason was that we had the ball stud on the middle and let ‘otajmade “goal. It affected all of us, both our leaders as the players. We let in goals, three against both Switzerland and Denmark. So we checked, what is easy? Well, 4-4-2. I will look at the self-critical so it was a lot of talk about defense game and the position on the pitch. Had it gone the other way … it would have been cool to do it. Do not drop the ball, then you will not have to defend yourself. We might have turned things around, thinking more on the offensive game to avoid having to defend ourselves so much.
Is there anything you can do in the upcoming European Championship qualifiers instead, play more aggressively to avoid having to defend you?
– Yes, you look at the squad we have taken out. This “go for it” feeling. We have momentum in this team if we look at the individual players. Can we get off in the game as well, then this could be really, really, good. But it requires that we dare. It is important for us to tell the new players that it’s okay that they make mistakes. Rocking on, do not sit and wait, because then you’re out again. Try to hang on the train, it becomes too much, you will be reprimanded, but I want to see them do too much first.
“We have a good chance”
You’re talking about the players must venture. F19-national team that won the European Championship last summer was a team that really daring, yet you have not taken a single player from that squad. Is moving really so far between the national teams?
– Yes, we think of course it is. You should have respect for it. I think of Stina Black Stenius made a success in the European Championships. I’ve talked with her club team coach Martin Sjögren and coach Calle Barr Ling, who are the two who know this player is the best. We stated that she is very, very close. But her strength is djupledslöpandet, and where the competition is cutthroat. But some, so is she. Sooner or later, she will go to a national team if he continues like this.
There was no thought of still take her out to give her a chance to be with and see and Learning in a national team?
– No, because there are other players that I also want to see. Watch and learn, we have no time. If you watch her play style, djupledslöpandet, we have Sofia Jakobsson, Lotta Schelin, Jenny Hjohlman and Pauline Hammarlund also have the strength. Fridolina Rolfö break the pattern, and is also left-footed. But it is throat competition. And I can not stress enough how much fun I think it is, for as I do not think it was before the World Cup.
You start the European Championship qualifiers in just under two weeks, Moldova, Poland, Denmark and Slovakia. Group One and six of the eight group deuces go to the European Championship. What do you say about it?
– We are having a difficult opponent in Denmark, and Poland are also not to be trifled with. But it is clear that we have a good chance, absolutely.
And so the waiting Olympics qualifiers in early spring?
– There we encounter Law we have met several times. We have a very big chance of going to the Olympics. Sweden is the only country who has been involved in all Olympic Games since 1996, when I myself was a player. To play the qualifiers there’s such a tingling feeling, so we can manage that, we benefit from it as well in the Olympics.
For the qualifying matches against Moldova and Poland are not Kosovare Asllani terminals due family reasons. Is she the next collection?
– Yes, as it can be.
How can that be? She wants to play in the national team in the future?
– Yes, I’ve talked to her and there are family reasons that she is not now.
“New roles and new personalities”
Asllani missing, but away from previous internationals are also Therese Sjögran, Charlotte Rohlin and Sara Thunebro who quit the national team. How do you replace a player who Sjögran, on and off the field?
– Yes, that’s what you do not just like that. It will be a different group. But it is also very fun and exciting, it is useful to go from bad results at the World Cup to another with a different group, I think that will be an advantage.
In what way?
– For the group we had there and then had a fantastic atmosphere off the pitch. I have been to many places but I have never experienced such a genuine atmosphere. But we did not get us there on the football field. I have thought very much, what is it that makes us get it with us out on the pitch as well. The atmosphere, the we of course create back now. But we can not just let it pick up where we left off, but this will be the new roles and new personalities. It will be a very important and enjoyable work.
Are you worried that this reluctance despite everything going with you out on the field also in European Championship qualifiers?
– No, I actually do not. Because you get to do it once. It does not happen twice, it is impossible. Then I instead see that it then becomes sloppy, what happened now? But it’s better than it gets gently again.
Lotta Schelin was heavily criticized during the World Cup. Have you thought about her role?
She got a lot of criticism, and I must say I’m impressed that she was sitting in the TV and try to explain and defend himself. She is a role model for our young players. In this case we are looking at her offensive runs, when she makes them, and when she did not make them. And that’s the real problem. It’s just going through a turn to, now she not perhaps other players to play with too. We think it will be good.
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