Slovakia nearing the top, says Sweden's coach who names the man of the match: "It’s not easy for me to say"
12.10.2024
After the match against Slovakia, Sweden’s coach Jon Dahl Tomasson was much happier than his counterpart, Italy's Francesco Calzona. He appreciated the draw on Slovak soil and praised the dominant and attacking football his team showcased. Tomasson specifically singled out one player from Slovakia for his performance.
In the first match of Group 1 of the C Division of the Nations League, the two biggest promotion contenders clashed in what was expected to be a decisive encounter. The Friday night match at the National Football Stadium ended in a 2-2 draw, with Slovakia holding their ground against a slightly stronger Swedish side.
Marek Rodák, the best player of the match, says Sweden’s coach
Sweden’s coach Jon Dahl Tomasson was visibly in a good mood after the game, a sentiment confirmed by his assessment of the match: "I think it was a very good game from my players. We pressed well, and the first 35 minutes were excellent."
What frustrated Tomasson was his team's drop in intensity, but not so much the goal conceded just before halftime as the missed chances after the break. "After just two minutes into the second half, we created three huge opportunities, but here I have to give credit to the goalkeeper who made excellent saves on all of them," Tomasson praised Slovakia's goalkeeper Marek Rodák.
"And as for Slovakia, they waited for our mistake on the ball and were very dangerous, but overall, they didn't create much. However, when you play against the ‘heroes of the Euros’ in such a game, especially on their home turf, it's certainly satisfying. We scored two goals and did several great things. Overall, we are disappointed we didn’t win, but I am glad my players are disappointed because that shows a lot about their ambitions," Tomasson concluded.
Tomasson pleased with his team's performance, but credits Slovakia’s goalkeeper
Coach Tomasson was happy with his team's performance, particularly the offensive play despite the absence of striker Alexander Isak. Other players such as Viktor Gyökeres and captain Dejan Kulusevski stepped up. However, with a smile, Tomasson repeated: "It’s not easy for me to say, but the best player of the match was Slovakia’s goalkeeper."
