Sorrow, anger, emptiness and many questions hung in the air when the national team lost two points in the qualifying premiere against Slovenia on Friday evening. A question was asked by many at Stadion Stozice in Ljubljana. Probably also by hundreds of thousands of viewers and listeners at home in Sweden.
In plain Swedish, this question: How the hell can you concede an equalizer in the 90th minute?
But what's done is done, the cards have been laid out. The defensive game at Vipotnik's 2–2, national team captain Jon Dahl Tomasson's reluctance to make late substitutions and bring in fresh legs... and more. It has been discussed over the weekend.
The requirement is three points
A new working week begins tonight, at Stadiumi Fadil Vokrri, the concrete bunker in the middle of Pristina. The requirement is and cannot be anything other than three points. And if we are to believe Hien, the national team has left Friday's miserable end to the match behind them.
I think the atmosphere has been good. Of course, there was extreme disappointment right after the result. We make a great game and then it stings when you concede a goal that late.
We let the disappointment live out that evening, as it should be. From the morning after, I think we have focused on Kosovo. We have had a good attitude and hopefully we can come out and show it in a good way.
Hien is not planning any fiery speech in his role as team captain. It's not his leadership style.
No, not really. It's of course a very important match, and very important what attitude we come into the match with. Just the speech itself or talking in that way, I don't see as anything special.
Misses his team captain
Napoli's defensive star Amir Rrahmani, also Kosovo's team captain, injured himself in the 0–4 loss to Switzerland and misses tonight's match.
A heavy loss, of course. I think they have a good football team and that there are always players who are ready to step up and who can contribute with energy. It's hard to say how much it affects, says Hien.
Robin Olsen continues in goal. Dahl Tomasson's trust in the 35-year-old is unwavering despite Olsen's gross mistake that gave Slovenia 1–1.
The starting eleven will be presented 75 minutes before kick-off (20.45).
Alexander Isak got no playing time on Friday.
"Alex" had only done three training sessions then. Now he has done five. He hasn't had much of a preseason, so we have to take into account both the short-term and the long-term. But he can definitely be a player who changes a match, said Dahl Tomasson at Sunday's press conference.
