I waiting for Zlatan, this:
Still good sporting intentions that were again marred by difficult defensive mistakes.
Therefore, Serbia had the most fun at the party and gave Jon Dahl Tomasson his third loss in four matches.
2-5 against Portugal, 1-0 against Albania, 1-2 against Denmark, and on Saturday evening, painful 0-3 against Serbia.
This is the score so far, result-wise, for the national coach who has been tasked with leading the national team out of the European football cellar.
It may take time.
And yet: The offensive play looked promising and interesting at times. Now, football is about two things – having and not having the ball. The vulnerability and weakness are in the latter.
This is very easy to do right now, Tomasson's national team.
Emil Forsberg on Sweden letting in ten goals in four matches.
The question is what Alexander Isak could have achieved, considering all the Swedish mistakes that were made before the break. "JDT" couldn't praise Isak enough a few days ago, but Newcastle's star striker is tired after a long and injury-plagued season. Therefore, he had to start on the bench and Gustaf Nilsson started.
The varied, creative offensive play is something to build on – but just like against Denmark on Wednesday, the defensive shortcomings cost the team dearly.
The defense lost track of a Serbian counter-attack, Anton Salétros and Emil Krafth marked the same player, and at the far post, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic was left free and headed in 0-1 just after the strong Swedish opening quarter.
Isak came in for the second half, as did Hugo Larsson. Things started happening right away. One after another. But not of the high quality and determination required to get the ball into the goal.
Close, but among others, Isak, Victor Nilsson Lindelöf, and Dejan Kulusevski, but just when the prospects for a tie looked best, the Serbs struck. Efficiently, without mercy.
Isak Hien didn't get to Aleksandar Mitrovic, who controlled Filip Mladenovic's pass. Whereupon Dusan Tadic sent in 0-3.
The biggest Swedish cheer? When Zlatan Ibrahimovic was zoomed in on the big screen. It was his farewell after the national team match that filled Friends Arena, not a national team that is still searching for its identity.
Dragan Stojkovic's Serbia opens the EM against England in Gelsenkirchen a week from Sunday.
The same group also plays Denmark and Slovenia.
As you know, Sweden is still without a major tournament. Tomasson's tinkering with the new Swedish team makes for a longer break. The work will resume in early September.
Danes' honeymoon is over – in the fall's Nations League, results are required and first against Azerbaijan in Baku.
The men's national team's matches in 2024:
Training matches:
March 21: Portugal (away) 2-5.
March 24: Albania (home) 1-0.
June 5: Denmark (away) 1-2.
June 8: Serbia 0-3 (home).
Nations League, C-division:
September 5: Azerbaijan (away).
September 8: Estonia (home).
October 11: Slovakia (home).
October 14: Estonia (away).
November 16: Slovakia (home).
November 19: Azerbaijan (home).
