“Sweden Beats Belgium 1-0 in Future Team Tournament Opener: Recap and Highlights”

Picture: The Swedish starting eleven against Belgium. Photo: SvFF. (Click for highlights)

It was an aggressive Sweden that opened the event in sunny Holbæk and it would then pay dividends already in the fourth minute of the match. After some good action on the right wing, the team captain for the day Fred Bozicevic ended up in a good position but his header was blocked for a corner.

The Swedish national team continued to press high, which left a lot of space behind for them to counter the Belgians who in the 17th minute came close to getting a free-kick. Despite several half-chances on both sides, the goalkeepers were never seriously tested and it would take until the 28th minute for the first shot on target.

After a somewhat tentative start, the Belgians worked their way into the match and regained command in the final stages of the half. In the 32nd minute, the players in the all-white match uniforms came close to taking the lead, but a fantastic save from Elton Fischerström Opancar saved Sweden from the deficit.

A couple of minutes later, the Swedish keeper was forced into another fine save when he stopped a Belgian player from poking the ball into the net, after a fine action on the right wing earlier.

Goalless after the first half at Holbæk Stadium.

Slightly better Belgium in the future. In the 55th minute of the match, Davis Opoku had a great chance to give his team the lead but the ball sailed well over the crossbar. The same player was up front and threatened again soon after, but this time he hit the post and the Swedish players could breathe a sigh of relief.

The Belgian offensive was not over. With ten minutes left on the clock, Belgium had another brilliant opportunity to break the deadlock, but substitute Carl Selfvén was in the right position and was able to steer the ball away at the last moment in front of a Belgian player.

For a long time it looked like it would be goalless in Holbæk, but in the last regular minute of the game, the ball landed with Sixten Gustafsson, who without any hesitation volleyed and gave Sweden the lead! Untouchable for the Belgian goalkeeper who could only watch.

The match ends 1–0 and Sweden wins against Belgium in the first match of the Future Team tournament.

Next up is Poland in two days. The match will be played on May 19 at the same stadium, starting at 1 p.m.

Safet Muhic