The 48-team format of the World Cup is proving to be quite the puzzle when working out the permutations of third-place qualifiers… Even for some of the players.
Sweden‘s Anthony Elanga scored a glorious equaliser last night in a 1-1 draw with Japan to leave his side in third place of Group F and confirm Sweden’s spot in the last 32, but the Newcastle forward was not convinced it was enough and sank to his knees in frustration at the final whistle.
He shook his head in disbelief, sure that Sweden’s World Cup campaign was over, unaware that the point was sufficient.
“I didn’t know that one point was enough,” Elanga told Swedish media after the match. “I just shouted: ‘Come on, we can go for more.’
“I’m glad we’re through. I didn’t know that at the end. I think they [assistant coach Sebastian Larsson] were trying to shout at me.”
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The goal was the second of Elanga’s World Cup tally this tournament and was enough for Sweden to finish with four points, behind the Netherlands on seven points and Japan on five.
“It couldn’t have been any clearer for him. So he’s obviously thinking about something else. Bless him,” head coach Graham Potter said in a post-match news conference when asked about Elanga’s reaction.
“I love him at the moment. But dear me.”
Elanga’s frustrations also caught the attention of his teammates, who were busy celebrating the draw, some finding it more light-hearted and amusing than others.
Swedish striker Alexander Isak said: “I went to ask him [Elanga] if this is true [that he didn’t understand] and unfortunately it was.
“He got a small lecture from me there. He was so frustrated at the end and now I know why.”
While captain Victor Lindelöf joked that Elanga must’ve been asleep during the team briefing.
“I know it myself, sometimes it’s easy to fall asleep during the team meetings. He probably wasn’t awake,” Lindelöf said.
