T&T meet Sweden today, June 10 in a Group B encounter in Dortmund at 6:00 PM German time (12:00 Noon EST)
Sweden – T&T FIFA rankings/ WC odds 16/ 41:1, 47/1501:1
World Cup record
Matches/ Wins/Draws/Losses/Goals for/Goals against/Goal Diff/Points
Sweden 42/ 15/ 11/ 16/ 71/ 65/ 6 / 56
Trinidad and Tobago: First World Cup appearance.
Sweden’s World Cup history
An impressive 10 appearances with a best place finish of 2nd place in 1958. They also finished 3rd in the 1950 and 1994 WCs. Sweden’s golden moments were in the 50’s. And then there was a pretty long period when they slid into obscurity before the 3rd place finish in 1994. In 2002, they got to the second round.
As with some other European countries like Holland and France, the resurgence in Swedish soccer is attributed to its growing immigrant population. Two of Sweden’s stars Henrik Larsson and Zlatan Ibrahamovic come from immigrant roots. Larsson’s father is from Cape Verde and Ibrahamovic’s parents are Bosnian.
Sweden go to the 2006 World Cup from the European zoneby winning 8 matches and losing 2, both to Croatia
Trinidad and Tobago
This is T&T’s first World Cup appearance and the Soca Warriors have taken their tiny island into the forefront of world soccer. They qualified from the Concacaf zone with 10 wins, 8 losses, and 2 draws.
It took the return from international retirement of their captain Dwight Yorke, striker Russell Latapy, and the import of Chris Birchall, a midfielder from England whos mother’s birth in Port of Spain allowed him T&T citizenship. And the Dutch coach Leo Beenhakker to put the Soca Warriors together. They are one of the most followed and popular soccer teams in the World Cup, with their fans, and their love for soca anthems, calypso, and a good bacchanal. Look out for a World Cup full of festivites with the Soca Warriors and some fine, entertaining soccer.
Key match up:
The Swedes play maker Henrik Larsson who plays for Barcelona and was responsible for both goals that gave them the European Cup championships over Arsenal. The T&T players have to disrupt his rhythm and watch out for his fine flicks and crosses. And collapse around Zlatan Ibrahamovic, their tall striker who has fantastically tight ball control. Freddie Ljungberg, Arsenal striker is the other danger man for the Soca Warriors.
Dwight Yorke, the veteran captain has to marshall his inexperienced side and make sure that they are not overawed by the big occasion. He will have to give the Swedish defence honest with Stern John, the other T&T striker.
Sweden coach: Lars Lagerback
T&T coach: Leo Beenhakker
Update: Shaka Hislop is in for the T&T goal instead of Kelvin Jack who has a calf strain