Live Ticker: Sweden 2 : 2 England
June 20, 2006It's been 38 years since England beat Sweden. Sven-Goran Eriksson's English side be able to turn the streak around in Cologne? Stay with DW-WORLD.DE to find out.
We're one hour away from the Group B encounter between England and Sweden
The line-ups for the Group B match between England and Sweden
England coach Eriksson will use Wayne Rooney in this important match. He also leaves Steven Gerrard out of the starting formation and decides to go with Bayern Munich midfielder Owen Hargreaves. Sweden will do without the services of Juve striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Sweden (4-4-2):
1-Andreas Isaksson; 3-Olof Mellberg, 4-Teddy Lucic, 5-Erik Edman, 7-Niclas Alexandersson; 18-Mattias Jonson, 6-Tobias Linderoth, 16-Kim Kallstrom, 9-Fredrik Ljungberg; 20-Marcus Allback, 11-Henrik Larsson
Coach: Lars Lagerback
England (4-4-2):
1-Paul Robinson; 15-Jamie Carragher, 5-Rio Ferdinand, 6-John Terry, 3-Ashley Cole; 7-David Beckham, 8-Frank Lampard, 16-Owen Hargreaves, 11-Joe Cole; 10-Michael Owen, 9-Wayne Rooney
Coach: Sven-Goran Eriksson
Referee: Massimo Busacca (Switzerland)
England have already qualified for the next round while Sweden are all but through. A draw guarantees this. The question is -- and neither coach would admit it -- how badly do they want to avoid playing Germany in that next match. That will be the task of the team that finishes second in Group B.
It's not hot tonight but thunderstorms in Cologne during the day have made the air thick and sticky. Not as if the warm temperatures were needed to heat up the atmosphere inside the stadium.
Seven minutes to kickoff
The number of English supporters is about twice as great as that of the Swedes. They are singing, waiting for their teams to come out onto the pitch.
Five minutes to go
The two teams enter the arena. We are close to takeoff.
The national anthems are being played. The players, some singing, some not, have their game faces on.
The build up is over. This Group B decider is just moments away from starting.
0. min.
Sweden and England are underway.
Sweden kick off.
0. min.
Sweden in yellow shirts with blue shorts. England wear red shirts with white shorts.
1. min.
Already the first man is injured. Michael Owen has to crawl off the pitch on all fours after passing it unchallenged.
3. min.
The game continues while the Newcastle striker is being tended to. He looks to be in obvious pain. Frank Lampard has the first opportunity on goal as his shot goes a few meters wide left.
4. min.
Owen taken off on a stretcher. Crouch comes in.
A tragic start for the English side. Not even 45 seconds into the match, Owen gets hurt and must be taken off on a stretcher.
5. min.
Sweden with their first attack. A cross, Larsson skies, but it goes off a English defender. Corner-kick.
5. min.
Ineffective kick. Crouch clears it away at the near post.
7. min.
Frank Lampard gathers the ball at midfield, charges to the Swedish goal and shoots from the edge of the penalty area but no problem for Swedish keeper Isaksson.
9. min.
Wayne Rooney with his first touch of the ball. He wins it at the center circle and bursts away with it before being stripped by the Swedish defense.
10. min.
A tremendous atmosphere here in Cologne. These grounds is exceptional for raising the decibel levels to a deafening roar. It remains loud 10 minutes into the match.
11. min.
England seem a little anxious at the beginning. The Swedes are playing hard but it has not been productive up to now.
12. min.
Wayne Rooney with a cross from the right side. It's not his specialty. Lampard can get his head on it but the ball flies wide right of the Swedish goal.
14. min.
Sweden have been inconspicuous to say the least at the start. Wayne Rooney seems his old self, as if the seven-week layoff had absolutely no effect on him.
16. min.
Joe and Ashley Cole are working the Swedish defense on the left wing. Two passes and a cross but it's too high for even Peter Crouch to get to. Goal-kick Sweden.
17. min.
Corner-kick Sweden.
17. min.
A strong cross on that corner. Robinson can only get to it with one fist, crashing to the ground. Yet the danger is abated.
19. min.
Another corner-kick for Sweden.
20. min.
Another great cross, this time to the far post. Lucic hits a volley but it's deflected out of bounds. Corner-kick.
20. min.
This corner sails out of bounds. England goal-kick.
21. min.
Joe Cole scraps for a ball after a good run. He takes his chances from 20 meters and the ball just screams over the Swedish crossbar.
23. min.
Handball called against Ashley Cole. Chance off the right edge of the penalty area for Sweden. Kallstrom fails miserably on the free-kick and is jeered for the effort.
24. min.
Joe Cole making a stronger impression than in the first two matches. He sends a long cross to the far post, Peter Crouch is standing alone but his header is nothing near the goal.
25. min.
Rooney with a chance one minute later. A long delivery from Beckham, the ManU striker controls it masterfully but his shot from the penalty spot is blocked.
The game getting a little choppy with lots of high balls in the Swedish half. Free-kick for Beckham. Isaksson has to bat it a surprise shot from Becks over the net.
31. min.
The Swedish attack has been put on hold the past ten minutes. They can relax a little bit because Paraguay lead against the Trinis meaning that the Island Warriors must score a barrage of goals to even think of advancing.
33. min.
England go in front!
34. min.
A spectacular goal from Joe Cole.
From at least 30-35 meters out, the Chelsea midfielder lobs a hard shot into the upper right corner. Keeper Isaksson was just a bit too far off his line and can only deflect it. England lead deservedly at this point.
37. min.
That shot has the English supporters chanting deafeningly. How will Sweden respond to this one-goal deficit?
38. min.
Hargreaves bears down into the penalty area, taps it left to goal scorer J. Cole but Sweden can stop the attack.
40. min.
Lampard says to himself, if Joe Cole can do it, I can too. He shoots from 30 meters out but the shot is a few inches above the bar.
42. min.
Casting a glance at the Swedish bench, coach Lars Lagerback looks a little clueless at this point as to how Sweden could turn this game around. On the pitch, England get a corner-kick after another strong Rooney effort.
43. min.
It's turning into a crossing competition -- Beckham corner on the right, ends up with Joe Cole on the left, his flank returns to Beckham who sends it back into the middle before the Swedes can finally clear it.
45. min.
First-half is over
+1 Possibly last attack of the half. Joe Cole again but his shot is kicked out of bounds by the Swedish defenders. Moments later, Lampard has room in the penalty area but Isaksson saves and the half is over.
46. min.
The second-half is under way.
46. min.
Both squads start the second-half as they did the game.
48. min.
Joe Cole is again the man making his mark. This time he wins a corner for England.
50. min.
Goal Sweden!
A few defensive lapses by the English defense allows Ljungberg to get off a shot. Corner-kick Sweden.
50. min.
That defensive nap led to the one strength Sweden has shown this evening -- corner-kicks. Allback is the first one to the ball at the near post, Robinson can only watch the ball sail past him to the far post. It's all even again.
53. min.
Again, Joe Cole is creating havoc on the left side. His sharp cross from near the corner flag is just barely cleared by a Swedish defender. Crouch
54. min.
Sweden rattles the wood!
Larsson sends in a corner, it glances off two heads and Robinson's hand sends the ball into the crossbar before it bounces away. England all of a sudden look rattled by the Swedish revival.
55. min.
In the meantime, there have been two substitutions. Sweden's Jonson leaves for Wilhelmsson. On the other side, Ferdinand goes off, Sol Campbell comes on.
58. min.
Once so masterfully in control of the match, England look to grab the bull by the horns again -- but the Viking horns aren't having any of it. Corner-kick Sweden.
59. min.
Glances off the crossbar!
Sweden's corner kicks are causing fits. This time, Mellberg gets his foot on it, the ball sails -- luckily for England -- off the top of the crossbar.
62. min.
Substitute Wilhelmsson leads a Swedish charge. He squares at the penalty area where TWO Swedes are alone. Luckily an English defender can block the one-touch shot.
65. min.
England generate a corner-kick. They carry it out quickly, but a header by Crouch goes over the bar.
69. min.
Wayne Rooney has virtually disappeared from this game. And now he will permanently. Steven Gerrard comes on for the ManU striker.
71. min.
We've hit a lull after the energetic start by the Swedes. When something does happen then usually from them. Another corner-kick.
72. min.
Super save by Gerrard
Again, the English defense proves unable to defend the corner. A long cross is headed back to Kallstrom and only a heads-up play by Steven Gerrard on the line stops the go-ahead goal by Sweden.
75. min.
An opportunity for Beckham. Free-kick for England from the right side. Sweden have no problems with the cross and begin to turn it upfield.
75. min.
Goal scorer Allback is taken out, Johan Elmander comes on.
76. min.
Owen Hargreaves is booked for a hand ball.
78. min.
Corner-kick for England.
Peter Crouch is first to the ball but the group of players in the box prevent him from getting any strength into the header and Isaksson can save it easily.
82. min.
Up to the interval, England looked much the contender, or at least a hopeful. In the second-half, their steam has gone out and their hopes of breaking the 38 year winless streak against the Scandanavians in yellow and blue may remain that until the next encounter.
83. min.
A fairly vicious foul on J. Cole. Alexandersson sees yellow.
85. min.
Steven Gerrard scores!
86. min.
Joe Cole shows his qualities from the right side, crosses it back to the left side of the penalty box where Steven Gerrard, all by his lonesome, can power it home with his head. Just minutes ago, that seemed very unlikely.
87. min.
Freddie Ljungberg gets an entry into the ref's records.
88. min.
John Terry heads a dangerous corner back out of bounds.
90. min.
The English are almost all inside their own penalty area as Sweden now throw everyone and everything up front to try and get the equalizer. And it happens!
90. min.
Sweden gets the equalizer
England were begging for the equalizer -- Henrik Larsson is the man who saves the guaranteed spot in the knockout stage for the Swedes.
90. min.
Sweden make two spectacular comebacks to save the point
England are unable to hold two leads, actually showing great insecurity while ahead. You have to give all the credit to Lars Lagerback's team for sticking with it. They will now face Germany on Saturday in Munich. England still win the group and take on Ecuador in Stuttgart.