The playoff final against Poland on March 31st will be surpassed in importance on Friday night. Japan awaits at Dallas Stadium when the group stage ends. The strange thing about the World Cup this time is that no one already fully knows what the outcome of the match will mean.
What is at stake:
+ If Sweden wins, they will be second in the group.
+ A draw means third place, four points scored and, with a probability bordering on certainty, a place in the round of 16.
+ Loss? It could mean another match, or it could mean going home. It depends on how the other groups go.
“Really impressed”
Potter doesn't place much importance on the math or the unknown. His job is to prepare the team against an opponent he clearly admires.
"Fast, dynamic, combining their way through midfield, threatening along the wings, defending solidly. I'm really impressed," he says.
Japan and Hajime Moriyasu represent where he hopes his national team will be one day.
"Have you seen Japan? They're good, huh? Their national coach has been there since 2018. The continuity of the work, you can see it in the organization, in the understanding between the players," says Potter.
He came in in November and, against all odds, got the national team to the World Cup, but time has not been on his side to build the team he wants and sees ahead.
The criticism after the 1-5 defeat to the Netherlands was enormous.
He dismisses criticism that people and the media, especially the many "national team captains" on social media, don't see or understand the complexity, saying "that's how the world looks today."
“On the other side”
"We worked for three weeks before the World Cup, we're on the other side of the spectrum from Japan. They've probably had a few knocks, but in their last twelve games they've beaten Brazil, England... tough opposition."
About the flawed Swedish defense he says
"We can talk about the back line, that's fine with me, but I'm more interested in where we defend. When do we press, how compact should we be and when?" says Potter, offering a long, educational explanation of how he wants the defense to be and how difficult it is.
The national captain, a little more bitter than at previous press conferences, unreservedly defended his players after the heavy defeat in Houston.
"Starting the way we did... psychologically maybe it affected us a little too much. I always have to go back to myself. Could I have prepared the team, the players better? But these things can happen in football."
"We made a lot of mistakes and you can't do that against top opposition. We have to be compact against Japan, against all teams," says Graham Potter.
