Sweden's Dominance in Nordic Football: A Statement Match Against Norway

"Incredibly good attacking play, deadly effective!" The Norwegian praise reveals only part of the truth. A 2-0 victory against Norway offered more.

The friendly match against Norway was the first since the closed-door game against the Philippines ahead of the 2023 World Cup.

Two years of minimal opportunities to test new strategies, give players a chance, and consider players' physical status more.

Beforehand, it was very difficult to know what to expect, both from the starting lineup, the final lineup, and the performance.

It became a potpourri of everything.

Stina Blackstenius didn't need five chances; one was enough for a goal.

Jennifer Falk made a couple of extremely high-class saves.

The right flank was totally dominant.

Smilla Holmberg played fearlessly and surged forward.

Tove Enblom finally got to play her first minutes.

Madelen Janogy showed she is eager to start in a European Championship opener.

But above all, it was the trio of friends and Kaneryd who delivered exactly the confirmation they and everyone else wanted.

Like a String

The first goal is a textbook example, with the ball moving like a string from center-back Nathalie Björn, to midfielder Filippa Angeldahl, out to Johanna Rytting Kaneryd, who precisely finds Stina Blackstenius, who pushes forward and scores.

"Incredibly good attacking play, deadly effective!" praised NRK, Norway's equivalent to SVT. And they were certainly right. Football brilliance should always be celebrated, and Sweden showed how good they can be, even as opponents desperately try to trap Sweden in the "press-high trap."

But football often requires a stable central line, which is exactly what played out there. When asked who is Sweden's most important player, Kaneryd, Angeldahl, and Björn have been mentioned more than once. Their performance will be crucial for the European Championship.

But, there's always a but. And a potpourri is a mix of everything, so here it comes.

The performance swung a bit too much at times, passes were lost too easily, and Norway occasionally found opportunities too easily. Jennifer Falk made a couple of incredible saves, but the only thought was thank goodness it wasn't Germany.

Norway has scored four goals in six matches in the Nations League, Germany 26 (!!). Yikes. Sweden cannot afford naivety in Switzerland. Much sharper focus is needed there.

To think too much about the final lineup in a rehearsal is almost unfair; it becomes a bit of a free-for-all, and the desire to perform is so great among everyone that it becomes even more chaotic. But they do the job, just as desired, and surely make Peter Gerhardsson sufficiently satisfied.

The European Championship rehearsal gave a lot, but it was also a statement that Sweden remains the best in the Nordics. That Norway, with all its quality players, still can't get it together is remarkably poor, but that's another story.