Alioune DVToure wrote:mr_nool wrote:[highlight]I did. Not the whole time, but in the last sentence.[/highlight]
To be perfectly honest I wouldn't give Sweden/us much of a chance at all this tournament regardless of group. We've had a fantastic couple of decades, but it seems that reality have caught up with us and that we are back to the level we had in the 70's-80's.
The previous generation with Mellberg, Ljungberg, Larsson etc. spoiled us supporters, and the new generation just aren't up to par. It's nothing strange about that. Sweden is a small country (only nine million people), and frankly the consistency we've displayed since 1990 is amazing.
Based on my very low confidence in this Swedish team, I rather see us face stronger opposition and hope for a miracle, then to meet lesser and fear the failure.
Fuck me I'm all over the place tonight. It's been a long week.
The population-to-standard measurement doesn't really seem to carry much water in international football. The Dutch and the Portuguese have been good-to-great throughout my entire lifetime. On the other hand, the Mexicans have been utter dogshit. The half-arsed States have even had the better of them for the last decade. And Mexico has a population upwards of 100 million and is one of the most fanatical footballing nations on earth. Can't understand it.
You're right, but it's still one factor that needs to be considered, along with total number of players, footballing tradition, organisation, etc. And don't forget natural factors, like weather (where I grew up winter sport season was way longer than football season).
I.e. I think Sweden have most definitely over preformed the last 20 years.
