Dignified finish of the regular season!

Estonia, initially Sweden’s bogey team who - often against all odds - somehow always managed to sneak through with all points when playing their northwestern neighbour. This time though they didn’t manage to live up to heir reputation as “Sweden-killers”.  A remarkably deteriorated Estonian team who before the game had only collected one point during the season, the worst overall Euroleague performance ever, never threatened Basse’s goal and in the end 5-0 was a flattering result.

Hassan Boumalek, the faithful servant scored two times (his 42nd and 43rd ever in Euroleague), David Fitzgerald, Martin Larnemark did likewise and an Estonian own goal completed the sheet that indicated a zero for keeper Basse, his eighth this season.

The result concludes the season as Sweden’s next best ever with a second place after Spain with 13 victories in nineteen games. All that is already history, now that the play-off commences. Sweden’s directly qualified to the quarter-final where either the Netherlands or the Czech/Slovak Republic awaits. If it’ll be the latter, it will be the third consecutive year where the two meet in the quarter-final….

Estonia – Sweden 0-5 (0-1)
Scored: Hassan Boumalek 2, David Fitzgerald, Martin Larnemark, own goal
Played: Basse – Addinall, Ghersetti, Fitzgerald, Landgren – Andersson, Karlsson, Larnemark, Norman – Boumalek, Skoog + Persson

Swedish unefficiency secures happy ending of an impressive Spanish season!

Spain beat Sweden 2-0 in a Euroleague clash of the titans. This makes Spain the undisputable winners of the regular season 2011/2012 with eighteen wins in nineteen games, an impressive season to say the least, thus hat’s off and chapeau for La Roja. However it’s fair to say that the result against Sweden was flattering since the yellow army controlled the game and should not the Swedish strikers have suffered from obscure temporary goal scoring impotency, the result could have been the opposite.

One game to go of the regular season when ex-bogey team Estonia line up on the 6 May. If Sweden manage to beat the Estonians, they will finish second after sovereign Spain and before Romania and Italy who in any case are the final top four who get’s a bye directly to the quarterfinal. The eight-finals are as follows:

Cyprus-Finland
Poland – Bulgaria
Czech/Slovak Republic – Netherlands
Portugal – France

Exciting times indeed after a long season when the play-off trophy is at stake and with the Euro 2012 approaching.

Spain – Sweden 2-0 (1-0)
Booked: Dyrnes
Played: Basse – Addinall, Persson, Magnusson, Landgren – Ljungblom, Larnemark, Aydouni, Boumalek – Thorelli, Dyrnes + Andersson, Norman, Karlsson, Gerges, Aabel

Back on track as Austria leaves Ixelles empty-handed!

After the Japan adventure, there were only three games to go of the regular season. All three important ones as the teams are now fighting to reach pole position before the play-off. After two consecutive defeats just before the Easter break Sweden needed to get back on the winning horse against Austria. And so they did on Sunday night by winning 2-1 in their new official Euro 2012 outfit. Austria, who now will miss this year’s play-off, is an always tough and physical opponent and the games between the two teams most often end up being close calls. This time was no exception figure wise, however the Swedes took control already from the start and if it wouldn’t have been for a solid Austrian defense, 0-0 wouldn’t have been the case in half time.

In the second half, Sweden finally managed to find the net by notorious striker Sigve Dyrnes. When centrocampista Martin “Larsa” Larnemark scored his second goal of the season only minutes after the game was over. Austria hindered keeper Basse from another clean sheet when they scored in the dying seconds of the game but the three points were never in danger.

Two games to go, next one against this season sovereign Spain who still haven’t lost, id est the perfect challenge for the yellow army.

Austria – Sweden 1-2 (0-0)
Scored: Sigve Dyrnes, Martin Larnemark
Played: Basse – Addinall, Ghersetti, Magnusson, Landgren – Ljungblom, Aydouni, Larnemark, Karlsson – Dyrnes, Boumalek + Skoog, Fauskevåg, Fitzgerald, Andersson

Big in Japan!

During the Easter Holidays Sweden FC spent seven days in Tokyo. The trip was initiated during last year’s common charity event, organised by Sweden FC in cooperation with the Japanese mission to the EU, in which funds were raised in favour of the reconstruction of Japan after the earth quake.

Among other things, during unforgettable days in Japan, Sweden FC visited the Swedish Embassy and watched the J-league game between Kashima Antlers and Urawa Red Diamonds. On top of this, the Swedes played a friendly game with Kashima Antlers legends, which included World Cup winner Jorginho and two current Antlers players. Despite a neat performance, the legends controlled the game and won 4-0. On the last day Sweden FC played Bank of Japan and won 1-0, after the game the teams had common lunch under the blossoming cherry trees.

The trip was highlighted twice in the Japanese daily Yomiuri Shimbun, the article published after the Antlers game is attached although not translated.

With this we would like to thank our Japanese friends, old and new, for having created a memory for life and for making our trip extraordinary. Attached is also the team pic before the game with Kashima Antlers legends team, dated 5 April 2012 at Kashima Soccer Stadium Training Ground.

Sweden FC goes to Japan!

Between the 2-8 April, Sweden FC is going to Japan for the annual team trip. The destination comes naturally after the charity event in 2011 where Sweden played Japan in Brussels and raised funds in support of the reconstruction of Japan after the earthquake and the tsunami.

More will follow soon.

 

                                                              

                                              BIG IN JAPAN!

 

日本では大きな

 

 

SWEDEN FC BRUSSELS IN TOKYO 2-8 APRIL 2012

 

東京2-8スウェーデンFCブリュッセル2012年4月