The day after

First of all, it feels much better now, almost 24 hours later. However, this does not mean that it feels good!

These players must quit the Swedish national team. There are three more names that I'd like to add (Henrik Larsson, Fredrik Ljungberg and Anders Svensson) to this exclusive list but because of their qualities and their status, I think it's better to keep 'em for the time being. Marcus Allbäck has already stated that he quits the national team. Svensson has hinted that he might have played his last international game and Alexandersson has said that he'll continue if (God forbid) his services are requsted.

In a couple of months we'll enter a qualification campaign for the world cup finals in South Africa, 2010. We must accept that it's time to give other players the chance to represent the country. This will most probably mean that we won't qualify. Our group is tough and several players in the squad are not as experienced as they should be considering their age. I'd love to see Henrik Larsson play for Sweden the coming games, but would that really be the best thing to do in the long run?

By the way, Germany just downed Portugal with 3-2.

A few comments on the game

• The Swedish team played much better that I thought it would. The last minute goal was unlucky, and Hansson (my favourite player to hate) did well throughout the whole 90 minutes. All except for the last incident where he fucked up pretty bad and gave David Villa the opportunity to score.
• Fredrik Stoor is in my opinion a much better right back than Niclas Alexandersson and he should be a first team regular. What a way to enter a national team!
  
• My second favourite player to hate, Mikael Nilsson did really well today. He used to play on the right flank, mainly on the midfield. He was moved to the right back position and he didn't whine. Later he was lifted over to the left back position and he still didn't whine. Is this what they call progress?
• Marcus Rosenberg, why can't this guy perform well in the national jersey? He is a quality player in Bundesliga but a mediocre player on the international scene.
• Henrik Larsson is showing signs of being old for the first time. The quickness and the pace is gone.
• Zlatan Ibrahimovic, what can I say? It feels really good to be an Interista with him onboard.
• Olof Mellberg, I'm having World Cup 2002 vibes. He will do well for Juventus the coming season.
• Freddie Ljungberg, an underestimated player with great features.
• David Villa is one of the best strikers around at the moment. What a player.
• Fernando Torres has done a good job in Liverpool the past year, and he is one of the very best in the world elite. The thing that I hate about him is his diving. I saw him doing it in the Champions League game against Inter earlier this year and I saw him doing it in tonight's game. It's disgusting and he disgusts me. Basta.

I am looking forward to Sweden's next game against Russia. If we manage to win that game we'll most probably face Holland in the quarterfinals, just like the last European Championship four years ago. The only difference is that they are much better today than they were four years ago, and we are not as sharp today as we were then.