Pages

Thursday, 15 November 2012

IT ALL WENT ACCORDING TO THE SCRIPT

      What a way to lauch a new national Stadium.....
Zlatan Ibrahimovic produced a stunning four-goal display to turn the game around and give Sweden a 4-2 win over England.
Ibrahimovic had put the home side in front in Stockholm after 20 minutes but goals from Danny Welbeck and Steven Caulker on debut gave England the lead before the break.
But the Sweden skipper found space to volley in an equaliser before blasting home a free-kick from distance to restore the home side's lead on the opening night at the new national stadium.
And the Paris St Germain striker saved the best until last - an outrageous long-range overhead volley after Hart had failed to clear with his head.
England began well but were caught out on the break when Martin Olsson tackled Raheem Sterling and Sweden were able to break. Caulker blocked Ibrahimovic's initial effort but the captain toe-poked in the rebound.
But 10 minutes before the interval England were level through Welbeck after a neat move that started when debutant Leon Osman won the ball in his own half.
Fellow new boy Sterling then threaded a pass through to Ashley Young on the left flank and the winger beat his man to cross for Welbeck to volley home at the far post.
Within minutes England were ahead. Sterling won a free-kick and Steven Gerrard, on his 100th appearance for England, curled in a cross for Caulker to slot the ball away.
In the second half, England handed further debuts to Ryan Shawcross, Carl Jenkinson and eventually Wilfried Zaha - making it six in all - as well as giving a run-out to the returning Jack Wilshere.
But the night was all about Ibrahimovic as he delivered a one-man exhibition of world-class forward play.

Sweden's new national stadium may look magnificent from the outside, or at least it will when it is actually completed, inside though, there was a major problem.Laid two days ago under a sliding roof that, unlike in Poland last month, was actually closed, the playing surface was simply not up to the job.Massive divots came up at regular intervals and if they were at home, concerned Premier League bosses must have felt like watching through splayed fingers.With the home supporters watching in respectful silence compared to the din they made in Kiev when the teams met at Euro 2012, it made for a surreal occasion, which only came to life when Ibrahimovic broke the deadlock.Sweden's talisman had settled a few scores earlier this year, when he belted home a hat-trick that helped turf Arsenal out of the Champions League.Even after his opener, no-one could have guessed he was about to eclipse it.After Jonas Olsson had robbed Sterling and then kept going to take a return pass down the left of England's penalty area, Ibrahimovic was quick enough to recover when Caulker blocked his initial effort, prodding the rebound past Joe Hart.Had Mathias Ranegie not skied Ibrahimovic's lay-off over after Gary Cahill had got in Hart's way to prevent the England keeper making a routine catch, such a significant evening for the Three Lions might have turned into a distinctly deflating experience.Instead, the visitors profited from their escape.Warming to his task after a slow start to his international career, Sterling spread the ball wide to Ashley Young.The Manchester United winger delivered a peach of a cross right into the heart of Sweden's six-yard area and Welbeck was on hand to finish.It was not in the same class as his brilliant match-winner in Kiev, but it was his fifth goal of an incredible calendar year.Three minutes later, England were ahead.How many times during his illustrious career has Gerrard sent a sumptuous curling free-kick curling into enemy territory.Caulker read it perfectly. England's most experienced player claiming an assist for one of their most inexperienced. How Caulker loved the moment.Another hesitant moment from Hart apart, there was little else to talk about until Jack Wilshere was introduced just after the hour.It was the Arsenal midfielder's first England appearance in 17 months and it was not long before he was planted on his backside by Andreas Granqvist, who was booked for his challenge from behind.Happily, Wilshere bounced straight back up, ready to get stuck in once more.Wilshere has already proved his worth at this level.Nobody should ever doubt it is a step up though. Shawcross had only been on the pitch for a matter of minutes when Ibrahimovic exposed a momentary lapse in concentration, and belted his second of the evening past Hart.
 It was only the start. A hat-trick was completed with a brilliant free-kick, a fourth in jaw-dropping manner as Hart blundered once more.
Though it was just a friendly it went according to the usual script we all know, England will always lead and then Sweden will come from behind and win.
But what even made the match so perfect was the four goals from Sweden best player Zlatan Ibrahimovic, though i expected him to score three or two just like it is in the script but he went aganist the script which is often allwoed for Super star characters to paint his name in the New Ultra modern staduim by scoring four and crowing it with a goal you get to see once in a life time.

No comments:

Post a Comment