Potter works his magic at World Cup as Sweden squeeze through Group F

[p]After opening with a 5-1 win over [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/tunisia/QqZVYk95/"]Tunisia[/a] and then ‌losing to the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/netherlands/WYintcWb/"]Netherlands[/a] by the same scoreline, Swedish supporters were ‌left wondering which team would turn up in Arlington, Texas to take on [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/japan/ULXPdOUj/"]Japan[/a] ‌as the final placings in the group were decided.[/p][p]Graham Potter was ​effectively playing with house money when he steered the Swedes to playoff wins over [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/ukraine/j1JtDMwo/"]Ukraine[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/poland/2HzmcynI/"]Poland[/a], but once his side got to ​the World Cup expectations rose considerably.[/p][p]With little time with his players, Potter has simplified what [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/sweden/OQyqbHWB/"]Sweden[/a] do, but they are yet to recover their traditional ⁠reputation as a solid unit ​in defence with some potent attacking power and on Thursday went behind to a sublime Japan goal that sliced through the soft centre of their defence.[/p][p]As things stood, Sweden were still among the eight best third-placed teams but the ‌Dutch disaster was fresh in the memory, and the concession of any more goals would have seen them slide alarmingly down the standings.[/p][embed guid="d289308c-4ae9-4444-93a0-c063e6d80c7f" url="https://x.com/FIFAWorldCup/status/2070315101060534375" social-type="twitter" /][p]Instead [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/elanga-anthony/dOlRWlZ6/"]Anthony Elanga[/a], who was given the chance to start after netting a consolation goal against the Dutch, cut in from the right and curled a superb equaliser past the unsighted goalkeeper to level as Potter's decision to pick him paid off.[/p][p]The topic of goalkeepers was a hot one before kick-off, as Potter elected to drop [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/nordfeldt-kristoffer/zidYDVKR/"]Kristoffer Nordfeldt[/a] in favour of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/zetterstrom-widell/OG2Bcuat/"]Jacob Widell Zetterstrom[/a], who won just his fourth cap for the national team. Zetterstrom only faced three shots on goal, as the Swedish defence repaid their coach's faith.[/p][p]Captain Victor Lindelof even played in a more advanced role, as part of the midfield, something Potter and the Aston Villa man took in their strides.[/p][p][b]"You make a change and we lose and you guys (journalists) are coming after me, that's the life,"[/b] Potter said. "[b]But, at the same time, I've been doing ‌this for quite a while and you have to do what you think ​is right, and I'll live and die by that."[/b][/p][p][b]"Everyone's been active in the organisation of the team, ‌so it didn't feel too much ⁠of a change for ‌me, although I understand when you change the goalkeeper and you ​move Victor into midfield, it can be (a big change),"[/b] Potter told a news conference.[/p][p][b]"If you've got ​the players with you, if you've got support from people outside, then you've got a chance."[/b][/p][p]Potter had to ⁠do more shuffling during ​the game after an injury to centre-back [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hien-isak/hz4zWEIG/"]Isak Hien[/a] saw him replaced in the first half, with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lindelof-victor/OIp0Le1f/"]Lindelof[/a] dropping into defence and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bergvall-lucas/th3mAHj9/"]Lucas Bergvall[/a] coming into the midfield.[/p][p]Lindelof then succumbed to ‌cramp late on and had to be swapped out for Carl Starfeldt.[/p][p]Elanga's equaliser ensured that the Swedes finished on four points, with the Netherlands winning Group F on seven points and Japan runners-up on five.[/p][h2]'A tricky one' whoever Sweden face[/h2][p]In the end, ‌Netherlands topped the group on seven points, with Japan second on five and the Swedes a point further back in third and, though it will take a while before Sweden's next opponents are decided, Potter was in no hurry to find out.[/p][p][b]"We were just delighted to be ⁠there and then, whoever we meet, ⁠we know we meet a top ‌team, so we have to be ready,"[/b] he said.[/p][p]Sweden's opponents in the Round of 32 will only be decided in the coming days but Potter said he was just happy they were in the knockout phase.[/p][p][b]"It's a tricky one, ‌because you can second guess - until we know, we ​won't know,"[/b] he added. [b]"We have to probably recover ‌the players first and make sure that physically we're in a good place for whoever we play.[/b][/p][p][b]"If you'd have said to me when we first came that that would be the challenge we face, I ⁠would have absolutely taken ⁠it, so we're looking ‌forward to it."[/b][/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/japan-ULXPdOUj/sweden-OQyqbHWB/?mid=Sl2xgtXi"]Review Japan 1-1 Sweden on Flashscore.[/a][/b][/p]