No show, Ibrahimovic
By Wang Meng Meng (asia1.com.sg)
June 05, 2006
WHATEVER John Carew can do with a football, I can do it with an orange.
And he proved this boast. With the fruit, socks, golf balls and tennis balls.
Even with chewing gum, which he juggled it several times before hoofing it back into his mouth in a boot advertisement.
But now, Zlatan Ibrahimovic is in danger of running out of steam before the biggest show on earth.
Against Chile yesterday morning (Singapore time), he was so anonymous that it will give his countrymen something to chew about before their World Cup opening match against Trinidad and Tobago on Saturday.
With Henrik Larsson into the twilight of his career and Freddie Ljungberg struggling with a foot injury, the Juventus superstar is Sweden's brightest hope for glory in Germany though questions will have to be raised about his current form.
In his debut season for the Old Lady in 2004/05, the striker impressed with a 16-goal output and otherworldly skills.
OUT OF SORTS
That run screeched to a halt this term, with the Swede of Serbian and Croatian parentage looking increasingly out of sorts and watching his goal tally slashed to just seven strikes.
More worryingly, the 24-year-old is also sucked into the corruption storm that had engulfed the Turin club in the wake of the taped conversations involving Juve general manager Luciano Moggi.
When asked if the scandal had affected his form, Sweden's best player laughed off the suggestions, replying that his slump had more to do with eating too much pasta and gaining weight than having sleepless nights.
Whatever the real reason is, what is indeed true is that the man who can perform such jaw-dropping tricks was totally off-colour in the 1-1 draw against Chile.
Given a full 90 minutes to prove his worth, Ibrahimovic looked detached from the action and never threatened at all.
His only notable contribution was threading a clever through ball in the 22nd minute for the overlapping run of Ljungberg only for the Arsenal man to shoot straight at the goalkeeper.
With Sweden looking short of ideas, just like they did in the 0-0 midweek draw against Finland, they will rely more than ever on the maverick but he seemed to have lost his divine spark.
Even when he was given one final chance to redeem himself two minutes into stoppage time as Mathias Jonson's angled drive flashed across an empty goal, Ibrahimovic's instinct had deserted him by then as he watched helplessly just a few metres away.
With England seemingly able to cope with Wayne Rooney's injury, the race is now on to see who will grab the other ticket out of Group B.
Against Chile, Sweden coach Lars Lagerback fielded what was thought to be his strongest team but it was a line-up laced with problems.
Tobias Linderoth was given the runaround by the fleet-footed Chileans throughout. Anders Svensson, in the playmaker role, was a virtual passenger and will be a serious liability should he continue in this vein of form.
Only Larrson, who opened the scoring by ramming home a ferocious 20 metre free-kick in the 32nd minute and substitute Kim Kallstrom, whose surging runs from midfield had just earned him a move from Rennes to Lyon, warranted any praise.
Tell that to the Swedes, and football fans the world over. They will want to see the man who can juggle a piece of chewing gum performing similar stunts in Germany.
But given his poor show against Chile, he might even have problems juggling a ball now.
Sweden are in Group B with England, Paraguay and Trinidad & Tobago.