Potter was cheered five times in his first World Cup match as Swedish national team captain and didn't have much to complain about after the final whistle. He may have had a small bleeding wound on his right ear.
"I don't know what happened. Something tore me. Or bit me. I have to look at the film footage and analyze what happened," he says at the press conference.
Five goals, three points – and a strong team where some were able to shine individually.
Team under development
There wasn't much to put in the negative account for an unforgettable evening.
"But there are things to improve, we are a team in development. I am very happy with the energy in the group and we have taken step by step over three and a half weeks," says Potter, who thought Tunisia's goal before the break was unnecessary.
That goal was what the halftime talk was mostly about: that it shouldn't spread worry and uncertainty.
We made sure not to get too emotional but to stay calm. We tried to focus on what we could influence and we kept our discipline and played steadily.
"I'm glad we took a step tonight, but it's just one game. We have a very important game coming up against the Netherlands and I hope we can have a nice midsummer," says Potter.
Strike duo Viktor Gyökeres and Alexander Isak showed the world what they are capable of together. It was clear on this opening night that Sweden has two global stars up front. They were involved in most of the action going forward and both ended up on the scoresheet.
They haven't played that much together, I think it's only seven games. So it gets better the more they play. Great for them to score, it confirms for them that they are on the right track. It was a solid team effort that allowed Alexander and Viktor to show their qualities.
Take care of Isak
Gyökeres acted as a forward in the build-up to Alexander Isak's 2–0 goal. Then the roles were reversed, when Isak stole the ball from a sloppy Tunisian defender and delivered the pass for Gyökeres' 3–1 goal.
Isak – rightly – received the award as player of the match at the Monterrey Stadium.
Potter and his staff were considering substituting Isak at the end of the match – but the Liverpool striker was not interested.
"He can look very tired and then the ball comes and he comes to life. We wanted to push him as much as we could. Now we have to take care of him for the next few days," says Potter.
Facts: Sweden's remaining matches
+ Netherlands–Sweden
Saturday, June 20, at 7:00 p.m. at Houston Stadium.
+ Japan–Sweden
Friday, June 26, 1 a.m. at Dallas Stadium.
If Sweden finishes first in the group:
+ Round of 32 awaits against the runner-up in Group C (Brazil, Morocco, Haiti, Scotland).
When: Tuesday, June 30, 3:00 a.m., at Monterrey Stadium.
If Sweden finishes second in the group:
+ Round of 32 against the first place in Group C at Houston Stadium.
When: Monday, June 29, 7:00 p.m.
If Sweden finishes third in the group:
+ Eight of the twelve third-place teams advance to the round of 32. Sweden can play their match in San Francisco, Boston, New York, Vancouver or Mexico City.
