Liverpool striker Alexander Isak revealed he scolded Newcastle winger Anthony Elanga after Sweden's 1-1 draw with Japan in Dallas on Friday, as Elanga admitted he was unaware that a point was enough to secure qualification for the World Cup knockout stages.
Sweden secure third-place finish
Graham Potter's side guaranteed a third-placed finish in Group F following the draw, which benefited both nations. The first half was uneventful, but the second half sprang into action when Daizen Maeda scored for Japan 10 minutes after the interval after excellent build-up play on the edge of the Sweden penalty area. Seven minutes later, Elanga curled in a magnificent left-footed strike for his second goal in two World Cup matches.
Sweden could now face any of Germany, Mexico, USA, or Switzerland, depending on which other third-placed nations qualify.
Elanga unaware of qualification scenario
Speaking via Swedish newspaper Sportbladet, Elanga confessed: "I just shouted: 'Come on, we can go for more'. I'm glad we're through, I didn't know that at the end." Isak, who joined Liverpool from Newcastle last summer for £125 million, admitted to giving Elanga a telling-off. He said: "He got a little scolded by me there. He was a little frustrated at the end of the match, and you can understand that now."
Pre-match briefing missed
Sweden captain Victor Lindelof disclosed that the squad held a pre-match briefing to discuss qualification scenarios, but Elanga appeared not to have absorbed the information. Manager Graham Potter saw the humorous side, saying: "That explains a few things. We couldn't have been clearer, but he was obviously thinking of something else."
Potter praises Elanga and goalkeeper
Potter also commended Elanga's display and goalkeeper Jacob Widell Zetterstrom after Sweden's heavy 5-1 defeat to the Netherlands in their previous fixture. He added: "We analysed the game against the Netherlands. We had to defend the box and wide areas better [today]. We decided to use Jacob's attributes because I think he's a fantastic goalkeeper. His distribution was very impressive. Anthony comes in and offers a counter-attack threat and his pace is destabilising for the opponent."
