SANDRA AIGNER / AIPS* in ABU DHABI: Sweden were given extra inspiration for their third-place play-off against Mexico here by a good luck message from former international star Tomas Brolin.
The Swedes went on to defeat Argentina 4-1 to conclude their campaign at the FIFA U-17 World Cup UAE 2013.
Coach Roland Larsson said: “We deserved the win. The first 25 minutes were like fireworks when the boys took their chances. I was a bit nervous at the end of the first half but the Argentinians did not have the strength to get back into the game.
“Finishing like this is sensational. No-one can believe it.
“Before when we went to the stadium, we got a message from Tomas Brolin, wishing us all the best. I think that was very good for the boys and that message pushed them.”
Praising the spirit in his team in their last game at this level and under his guidance, Larsson added: “These boys are all very mature, especially for an under-17 team. They think they can win against the whole world and they can [so] I am very satisfied.
“We have never been in such a tournament before. We played a good game against Nigeria. Our team have grown with every game. I looked at the score on the stadium screen and thought to myself: ‘4-1 against Argentina, that is crazy.”
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* AIPS, the international sports journalists association, is running a Young Reporters course at the FIFA U-17 World Cup UAE 2013 with the support of the local organising committee and FIFA
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