John Guidetti, an expert on TV4, was clear about what he thought after Isak Hien's performance in the first half against the Netherlands.
Hien lets Brobbey (two-goal scorer) set the tone and win the duels in midfield. Isak Hien: please, you have to be number one. Always number one. You can't fall behind there, said Guidetti.
Sweden had a weak defensive performance, to say the least, and after just 20 minutes they were down 0–2.
The 27-year-old is also being watched in Norway. Magnus Wolff Eikrem, formerly of Malmö FF and now an expert on NRK, says that the centre-back's performance was "shocking".
"I almost get angry. It's a defensive game unlike any other. I'm shocked that it's possible. Sweden is losing the match here," Eikrem says.
But in the mixed zone after the match, Hien was defended by his teammates:
"We're losing 1-5, so it is clear that there will be criticism. There will be no positive things. But it is not just Isak who will receive criticism; it is the entire back line. On the third goal I could have sprinted down faster," Victor Nilsson Lindelöf says.
Isak Hien himself understands the criticism and admits that he had a tough match.
"It's sad, of course, but there's one game left. We still have every chance to advance. It's a bad result and we know it. You never want to give away the goals and the chances they had. We're extremely disappointed."
