Group F was always going to be intriguing but I never expected Sweden to come out on top of the “Group of Death” – especially after their first half against England.
It must have been some half-time team talk. They came out a completely different side, played entertaining football and never looked back.
Henrik Larsson has taken some flak for knocking in goals for fun in Scotland where people claim it’s easy, but he showed he’s one of the best in the business.
And Anders Svensson’s long-range shooting was something else – that free-kick against Argentina will live long in the memory.
For him, so will the post he hit in extra-time against Senegal. The golden goal is a cruel way to go out and so it proved eight minutes later when Henri Camara’s effort went in off the post at the other end.
They’ll be left wondering what might have been having left the World Cup unbeaten and will be looking to make amends in Euro 2004.
