The second half was not even a minute old when Sandi Lovric shot from a distance. A shot that the Swedish veteran goalkeeper stops 99 times out of 100. Now the ball slipped between his hands – and Slovenia equalized to 1–1 in the World Championship qualifying match in Ljubljana on Friday evening.
The match ended 2–2 after the Slovenians forced the equalizer in the last regular minute of the match.
For Olsen, it was an extra bitter evening.
The disappointment is huge, as big as it can be, he says long after the match.
Received support
He delayed leaving the locker room for a long time and was one of the last to meet the Swedish media in the so-called mixed zone. By then, he had received support from teammates and leaders after the worst mistake in his long – 78 international matches – national team career.
Who did you talk to?
First and foremost, it's the goalkeeper coach Maths (Elfvendal). We talked in the locker room. I also talk to myself a lot. There are a lot of thoughts.
Olsen saw nothing mitigating in the fact that the ball bounced on the wet grass.
There are no excuses, whether it bounces or wobbles. It's a ball I should take.
Hiding in the room
How do you move on?
It will be up to the room, hiding and grieving. Then I have to wake up, hopefully with new energy. Of course, it will be a disappointment.
It should be. Unfortunately, I've done it before and gone through it. I'll get over this too. It's just as tough every time.
How happy were you when Yasin Ayari made it 2–1?
It's clear as hell that it was happy, but it's tough that we can't keep it. It's a huge disappointment for me.
How do you see Slovenia's 2–2 equalizer?
It's a high ball on (Benjamin) Sesko where he shows how strong he is. We don't get the ball away and then comes a run and he (Zan Vipotnik) heads it in.
Do you want to play against Kosovo on Monday?
Of course. There's no other option. I've received incredible support from everyone in the team and it's clear that it's nice, says Robin Olsen.
