Anthony Elanga's impressive World Cup campaign continued in the early hours of Friday morning as he scored his second goal of the tournament, helping Sweden secure their place in the knockout stages. However, the Newcastle United winger was unaware of the achievement at full-time, smashing the turf in frustration after thinking Sweden had not done enough to qualify.
In the old 32-team format, where the top two teams advance from the group stage, Sweden's 1-1 draw with Japan would have seen them finish third in Group F. But in the expanded 48-team format, the top two teams from each of the 12 groups, along with the top eight third-placed teams, advance to the next round. Sweden's tally of four points was enough to secure their progression.
Elanga's Confusion and Potter's Reaction
Speaking to the Swedish Herald after the match, Elanga admitted: "I shouted in English, 'We can go for more. I didn't know we were through. But then I heard someone shout that one point is enough. Now we focus on the next match.'" He added: "I just wanted to keep playing. I'm happy we played a good game, better than the one against Holland. We could have scored more goals."
Those comments left Sweden head coach Graham Potter in disbelief during his post-match press conference. "That explains a few things then," Potter said. "It couldn't have been any clearer for him so he is obviously thinking about something else. Bless him. I love him at the moment but, dear me."
Elanga's First Consecutive Goals Since Joining Newcastle
Elanga scored for the second consecutive match, something he had not managed for club or country since his £55 million move from Nottingham Forest to Newcastle last summer. After making an impact from the bench and scoring Sweden's only goal in their 5-1 defeat to the Netherlands, Elanga was rewarded with a starting spot against Japan.
He made the most of the opportunity, picking up the ball on the right-hand side, driving infield, and curling a stunning left-footed effort past Japan goalkeeper Zion Suzuki to level the scores. That goal ultimately proved decisive in securing Sweden's place in the knockout stages.
Potter's Tactical Decision
Explaining his decision to hand Elanga his first World Cup start, Potter said: "We analysed the game against the Netherlands. We had to defend the box and wide areas better [today]. Anthony comes in and offers a counter-attack threat and his pace is destabilising for the opponent."
Elanga will now look to keep his place in the side for the round of 32, where Sweden will face either Germany, Switzerland, or the winner of Group I, currently likely to be France or Norway.
