'We'll learn a lot from the game', says Potter after Swedes get hammered in Houston

[p]The Swedes thrashed [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/tunisia/QqZVYk95/"]Tunisia[/a] by the same scoreline to launch their campaign, but came [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/netherlands-WYintcWb/sweden-OQyqbHWB/?mid=0rAjVxuo"]crashing back down to Earth in Houston.[/a][/p][p]Potter's men, who would have reached the last 32 with a win, were 4-0 down after two goals each from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/brobbey-brian/pfAvgQUT/"]Brian Brobbey[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gakpo-cody/pWyuBud0/"]Cody Gakpo[/a].[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/elanga-anthony/dOlRWlZ6/"]Anthony Elanga[/a] pulled one back before [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/summerville-crysencio/EaRET7t6/"]Crysencio Summerville[/a] put the seal on a five-star display for Ronald Koeman's side.[/p][image alt="Sweden coach Graham Potter, Alexander Isak and Yasin Ayari look dejected after the match" id="e28b0304-a733-421b-9ca3-bb65a026aede" credit-line="IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters / Troy Taormina" guid="7b0d9b6b-606e-4c06-bbd9-d2c7bf497266" original-width="3171" original-height="2178" /][p][b]"We have to congratulate them, and as I said, I think we'll learn a lot from the game,"[/b] said the Englishman Potter.[/p][p][b]"The scoreline affects you; we became a bit passive then. We didn't quite have the belief in what we wanted to do.[/b][/p][p][b]"So that was a disappointment. It was a learning point for us, of course, we'll be better for it."[/b][/p][p]Potter, whose team are still in with a decent shout of the next stage but face a dangerous [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/japan/ULXPdOUj/"]Japan[/a] next, felt the final scoreline was "harsh."[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/sweden/OQyqbHWB/"]Sweden[/a] had their chances in both halves, racking up 20 shots in total, nine of them on target.[/b][/p][image alt="Match momentum" id="374d2858-94e4-4c70-af9e-e9f1fa2287e6" credit-line="Opta by StatsPerform" guid="cf2b6c0e-6f7e-41ab-8e77-362d3708707b" original-width="1920" original-height="1080" /][p]But they were shaky at the back throughout, with Sunderland striker Brobbey needing just five minutes to open the scoring.[/p][p]Sweden were 2-0 down at half-time, but Potter saw positive signs in the second as they had numerous goal-scoring chances come and go.[/p][h2]'They deserved to win'[/h2][p][b]"I thought the reaction after the half-time break was really, really good. I thought we were the better team, actually,"[/b] he said.[/p][p][b]"But unfortunately, we conceded again and, obviously, if you concede goals, it's a problem.[/b][/p][p][b]"So the scoreline, I think, was a bit harsh on us. That's not to say that we deserve to win the game.[/b][/p][p][b]"The [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/netherlands/WYintcWb/"]Netherlands[/a] played well, and they deserve to win.[/b][/p][p]"But we have to take the positives, I think, and we have to learn from the things that we can do better."[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/news/soccer-world-championship-netherlands-sweden-group-f-report-june-20/v7aCdNUp/"]Read our full match report here![/a][/b][/p]