Sweden heavy favorite in Group B opener
Associated Press
DORTMUND, Germany (AP) - On paper, Trinidad and Tobago look like an easy opponent for Sweden in their World Cup Group B opener on Saturday.
Sweden coach Lars Lagerback is cautious but optimistic.
"I think Trinidad and Tobago is a tricky team to play because they have some qualities," Lagerback said. "We have to be focused, but if we are I'm rather convinced that we'll beat them. They're the underdogs."
Trinidad midfielder Aurtis Whitley doesn't mind being underdogs.
"We don't get tired of it," he said. "Everybody has their own opinion. But I know there will be upsets in this World Cup."
Asked if Trinidad would provide them, Whitley said, "We don't know for sure but if everyone plays good, you don't know what's possible."
Sweden's hopes took a blow when goalkeeper Andreas Isaksson was ruled out on Thursday because of a mild concussion.
Isaksson was hit in the face by midfielder Kim Kallstrom's hard shot during a workout the day before.
"He was hit by a very hard shot and his head also hit the ground afterwards," Sweden team doctor Anders Valentin said. "He was never unconscious, but he was quite confused and disoriented. It will take a few days to get him back, five or maybe six days."
Isaksson had an outstanding qualifying campaign for Sweden, conceding only four goals in 10 games. The 1.99-meter (6-foot-6) 'keeper played for Rennes in the French league for the past two seasons.
"I feel sorry for him. He's a world-class goalkeeper and I think he'll become one of the world's best goalkeepers in the future," teammate Zlatan Ibrahimovic said.
Isaksson will be replaced by either former Arsenal goalkeeper Rami Shaaban or Viborg's John Alvbage.
Both are inexperienced at the national team level. Shaaban played one half in Sweden's 0-0 draw against Finland last week - his first international appearance. Alvbage has two caps.
Trinidad and Tobago suffered its own injury hit when Glasgow Rangers defender Marvin Andrews twisted his injured left knee in practice on Thursday. An MRI revealed a severe sprain, and manager Bruce Aanensen doubted he would start on Saturday.
A year ago, Andrews defied medical experts when he refused an operation to repair left knee ligaments, and returned to training two weeks later. He has been playing ever since, though he hurt the same knee in training last week in Austria.
Andrews' injury added to the disadvantages for Trinidad and Tobago, which will make its debut in the World Cup against one of the tournament's most experienced teams.
Sweden has more players on its current squad from the 2002 World Cup than any other team in Germany.
In 2002, in it's 10th World Cup, Sweden won the "Group of Death" ahead of England, and eliminated Argentina and Nigeria.
Two years ago in the European Championship, the Swedes lost only after a penalty shootout to the Netherlands.
Sweden's experience will be a big advantage against Trinidad and Tobago, making its first World Cup start.
"We know it's a very important game for us," said striker Henrik Larsson, who set up both goals in FC Barcelona's 2-1 win over Arsenal in the Champions League final. "It's the first game of the tournament so we know we need to get a good result.
"We have great respect for them, but at the same time we have belief in our own team. So we're going to go out there and try to do our best to get the result we want."
Larsson, who has scored 35 goals in 89 internationals, is Sweden's oldest and most capped player.
A two-time winner of the Golden Shoe as Europe's top goalscorer in 2000 and '01 when he played with Celtic, Larsson is one of two Swedes who played in the 1994 side which finished third in the United States and made the second round in Japan four years ago.
Now he's one of the "Big Three" along with Arsenal's Fredrik Ljungberg and Juventus' Ibrahimovic.
The trio scored 20 of the team's 30 goals in the qualifying rounds.
"But I don't think they (Trinidad and Tobago) should be afraid of us three," Ibrahimovic said. "I think they should be afraid of the whole team. We came to the World Cup as a team, not only three players."
For Ibrahimovic, it's been a tough second season in Italy. He scored only seven goals for Juve - less than half compared to his rookie campaign in the Serie A.
When Ibrahimovic netted in early May, he snapped a nine-game goalscoring drought. For Sweden, "Ibra" has played 173 minutes without scoring.
But he's not worried going into his second World Cup.
"I'm confident for this World Cup," said Ibrahimovic, a substitute in two games during the 2002 World Cup.
Trinidad goalkeeper Kelvin Jack is impressed by Ibrahimovic.
"I think anyone with cable TV would see him all the time," Jack said. "He's a very good player. There's no doubt about that. They have a lot of very good players.
"You have Larsson, you have Freddie Ljungberg, and (Olof) Mellberg. But at the end of the day, they are only human beings and if we can do the right things maybe we can unsettle them a bit."
Trinidad striker Stern John is looking forward to lapping it all up.
"Probably one of the biggest games in the country's history," John said. "The expectation in Trinidad is for us not to get embarrassed. We just go out to try to play good football and work hard as a team, and maybe we can make some friends.
"You have to enjoy it a little. Opportunities like this don't really come every day. It's a great achievement by the whole team and even for the country. So you need to stay focused as much and enjoy it as much as you can."
