Tired Sweden look to regroup for Iceland game

Sweden captain Fredrik Ljungberg expects his team mates to put last weekend's abandoned game against Denmark behind them in order to focus on Wednesday's home Euro 2008 qualifier against Iceland.

In Saturday's Group F match in Copenhagen, Sweden led 3-0 before the Danes rallied to 3-3, after which the match was called off in the 89th minute when a drunken fan attacked referee Herbert Fandel.

"It was a special game on Saturday which takes time to forget," Ljungberg was quoted as saying in the daily Expressen on Tuesday.

"But we're professional football players and we should be able to re-load and arrive concentrated to the next game."

Fandel had awarded Sweden a late penalty following an incident between Denmark defender Christian Poulsen and Sweden striker Markus Rosenberg. The penalty was never taken.

UEFA's Control and Disciplinary panel will announce their decision on Friday on whether the match will be allowed to stand at 3-3, whether it will be re-staged or whether Sweden will be awarded the victory.

Ljungberg, who had hoped to finish the Denmark game by taking the penalty, was critical of his team's performance against Denmark.

"It's not good to let a 3-0 lead slip away," he said. "Our plan worked for about 25 minutes and after that maybe we should have changed our game a little. We should have calmed down a little and kept some more possession."

Monday's training was cancelled because Sweden coach Lars Lagerback wanted to give his side an extra day's rest.

"It was a incredibly physical game and we are doing this to mentally and physically recharge the batteries for the Iceland game," Lagerback was quoted as saying on the Swedish FA's Web site.

"It's incredibly sad for soccer to have to interrupt and not be able to finish the game. Of course I respect the referee's decision but it's a miserable end to an absolutely fantastic soccer game," Lagerback said.

The Danish Football Association has said it will not protest if UEFA award Sweden victory.

Lagerback said he would like to have won the game on "sporting grounds."

"We had been awarded a penalty and I would have preferred if we won the game by converting it."

If Sweden are deemed to have won they will top Group F ahead of Northern Ireland and Spain.

A win over Iceland would put the Sweden firmly in the driving seat in the group with a likely chance to seal a place in the finals with a victory over Northern Ireland at home in October or against Spain away in November.

Denmark travel to Latvia on Wednesday while Spain play Liechtenstein away.

Source: Reuters