Sweden proposed their usual compact team but with some offensive variants that surprised me: Kulusevski, Forsberg and Isak. Ukraine, on the other hand, what I thought before the kick-off, would they have taken advantage of the previous defeats suffered by the Netherlands and Austria?
The game begins with the usual score: Sweden in their half and Ukraine trying to make play and take advantage of the few counter-attacks offered by Sweden when trying to attack the Ukrainian area. Then ... Zincenko's sudden goal! I rejoiced because Sweden should finally have started to attack. What I saw below shocked me ... when Sweden attacks, even if it lacks a little fluidity, it attacks well! Ekdal was precise in his passages, Kulusevski and Isak tried to make good insertions and Forsberg ... he is the talent of Sweden. In fact, the Swedish attack shortly thereafter would have finalized with Forberg (also thanks to a rebound by the Ukrainian defender who displaces his goalkeeper). The game from now on has two directions:
-) Until the end of the 90 minutes it was so boring that I thought several times about cutting the veins in my wrists. I also wanted to use a non-edged knife to be more cruel to myself.
-) In the extra time ... the game turns into a battle. it seems to witness the clash between the Vikings and the army of Ivan "The Terrible". Hard blows, various injuries and even an expulsion!
The game ends with a mockery for the Swedes who suffer goals within seconds of the penalty kicks! I must say that this Euro 2020 is not without surprises.
Tonight I saw a more compact Ukraine in defense (even if a goal has always granted), combative, patient and razor sharp. I was speculating this afternoon that Sweden would be the worst opponent for England but first ...
Let's analyze English football, its qualities are:
-) Physical prowess of the defenders (of the miners who hit hard)
-) Solidity between midfield and defense
-) Run and intensity
-) Fast verticalizations
-) Head shot
-) When Beckham was there also free kicks
His weaknesses are:
-) Poor propensity to score (this is why the phrase "English victory" was coined - the most common results are 1-0, 2-1 or 2-0)
-) Little mobility in the strait (only improved with the entry of Grealish)
-) Extreme suffering at the tactics
If Sheva and Tassotti manage to reinforce the defense game and work out excellent tactics, they can be even more lethal than they were tonight. It is possible that Ukraine's "counterattack game" could be a winning weapon if resting on solid foundations. Sweden would probably have been too wait-and-see and would have clashed with a game almost similar to hers in terms of solidity and physical prowess.
Forward Ukraine! Continue your dream! Come to Rome and win the semifinal!
@ElinaUA: I hope this time you like my words