WEDNESDAY, JULY 4, 2018 19 Swedes end 24 year wait Forsberg scores the winner in the 66th minute

Victor Lindelof slipped on Emil the ball in the first 10 seconds What next? • and that set the tone for the Forsberg ousts first half, which was largely Switzerland and a collection of mishit passes, Sweden will face sends Sweden into heavy touches and skewed England in the World Cup last eight shots. quarter-finals There were chances and Swe- It was a surreal den had most of them. Marcus Sweden advances Berg blasted over when set free Quarter final to• a World Cup feeling to stand at the Quarter-final match-ups side of pitch hearing early on and then saw his finish quarterfinal for the blocked following a poor clear- fans calling out my July 6 first time since 1994 ance by Swiss goalkeeper Yann name, but football Sommer. At Nizhny Novgorod Uruguay v France Tuesday July 3 SWEDEN 1 0 SWITZERLANDAfter a slow start, and Lustig’s is a team sport and At Kazan AFP | Saint Petersburg this team, for me, foul on Josip Drmic, Switzer- Brazil v Belgium 66’ Forsberg Saintpersonifies Petersburg Stadium that land grew in confidence and weden Last 16 should have scored when Bler- July 7 reached the SWEDEN COACHReferee JANNE ANDERSSON im Dzemaili snatched at Steven Damir Skomina (SVN) At Sochi WorldTuesday CupTuesday July 3 July 3 SWEDENSWEDEN1 0 1SWITZERLAND0 SWITZERLANDZuber’s pull-back. Russia v Croatia STuesday July 3 SWEDEN 1 0 SWITZERLAND quarter-finalsPlayers for the first Possession At the otherPlayers end, Albin Ekdal At Samara time in 24 years after Emil66’ 66’ ForsbergForsbergSaint PetersburgSaint Petersburg Stadium Stadiumwas even closer, and completely Sweden v England 1 Olsen 66’ Forsberg Saint PetersburgPossession StadiumLast 16 Last 16 1 Sommer Last 16 Forsberg’s2 Lustig deflected82’ shot Referee Referee free,5 Akanji when he sidefooted Lust- 3 Lindelof RefereeDamir SkominaDamir Skomina (SVN) (SVN)6 Lang earned a scrappy 1-0 win over 36%Damir Skomina (SVN)(SVN) 64% ig’s cross over. stretched foot of Akanji. (cap) Switzerland4 Granqvist yesterday. Players Players PossessionPossession 10 RatherXhaka Playersthan Playerslet loose, both Switzerland twice went close Sweden’s Players Possession Players (cap) 6 Augustinsson 1 Olsen 1 Olsen 11 Behrami1 Sommer1 Sommer Switzerland’s Michael1 Olsen Lang 1 Sommerteams tightened after the inter- to grabbing an equaliser, as midfielder 8 Ekdal 82’ 82’ 13 Rodriguez 2 Lustig 2 Lustig2 Lustig82’ 5 Akanji val,5 Akanjiand5 Forsberg’sAkanji goal came Djourou’s header dribbled ag- Emil Forsberg was sent9 Berg off in injury-time3 Lindelof390+1’Lindelof for3 Lindelof a 6 Lang 14 Zuber6 Lang 6 Lang 73’ 1236% Shots36% 64%36%18 64% 64% last-ditch10 Forsberg push on4 Granqvist Martin4 (cap)(cap)Granqvist82’ Ols4 Granqvist -(cap) (cap) 10 Xhaka 15out10Dzemaili ofXhaka the10 Xhaka blue. With73’ space on onisingly across the goal-line celebrates 6 Augustinsson6 Augustinsson6 Augustinsson 11 Behrami (cap)(cap)11 Behrami11 Behrami(cap) (cap) scoring during son and13 Svensson referee Damir8 Ekdal 8 SkomiEkdal 8 Ekdal- 3 On target 4 13 Rodriguez19the13Drmic edgeRodriguez13 ofRodriguez the box, his dummy and substitute Haris Seferovic the Russia 2018 na downgraded17 Claesson his9 Berg penalty9 Berg 9 toBerg90+1’ 90+1’ 90+1’12 Shots12 18Shots12 Shots1418Zuber 2018did14Djourou forZuber 14Granit73’Zuber Xhaka73’ before73’ the drew a late save from close 20 Toivonen 10 Forsberg10 Forsberg10 Forsberg82’ 82’ 11 82’ Fouls 13 15 Dzemaili23 15ShaqiriDzemaili1573’Dzemaili 73’ 73’ World Cup round a free-kick on the13 Svensson edge13 Svenssonof 13theSvensson 3 On target3 On4 3targetOn 19target4Drmic 4shot19 Drmic was19 Drmichelped in by the out- range. 17 Claesson17 Claesson17 Claesson 20 Djourou 20 Djourou20 Djourou of 16 football area. But5 Olsson the game20 Toivonen was20 alreadyToivonen82’20 Toivonen (cap) = Captain11 Fouls11 Yellow13Fouls11 card Fouls2313Shaqiri 137 23EmboloShaqiri23 Shaqiri 73’ 16 Krafth 82’ Substitution Red card 9 Seferovic 73’ match between up. 5 Olsson 5 Olsson5 Olsson82’ Both(cap)(cap)82’ == CaptainCaptain sides82’(cap) = hadCaptain(cap)YellowYellow =been Captain cardcard Yellowham7 cardEmboloYellow- card 7 Embolo773’Embolo 73’ 73’ 22 Thelin 16 Krafth 1690+1’Krafth16 Krafth82’ og=own82’ Substitutiongoal,Substitution pen=penalty82’ SubstitutionRedRedSubstitution cardcard Red card9 SeferovicRed card 9 Seferovic973’Seferovic 73’ 73’ Sweden and Forsberg’s second-half22 Thelin strike,90+1’ pered by suspensions here too, 22 Thelin22 Thelin Source:90+1’og=ownog=own FIFA goal,goal,90+1’ pen=penaltypen=penaltyog=own goal,og=own pen=penalty goal, pen=penalty Source:Source: FIFAFIFA Switzerland at the which deflected off the unfor- with SwitzerlandSource: FIFASource: more FIFA badly Saint Petersburg tunate Manuel Akanji, means affected. They were without Stadium in Saint Sweden are through to the both Fabian Schaer and cap - Petersburg World Cup last eight for the tain Stephan Lichtsteiner at the first time since 1994 in the Unit- back, prompting Johan Djourou ed States. and Lang to come in. Their route to the quarters For Sweden, Gustav Svensson has not been easy and, what replaced Sebastian Larsson in they have lost in the individual midfield. brilliance of Zlatan Ibrahimov- After back-to-back penalty ic, they appear to have gained shoot-outs, Brazil versus Mex- in grit, determination and col- ico and Belgium’s pulsating lective spirit. comeback against Japan, there Their next opponents would was always a danger this last-16 be foolish to take them lightly. tie would struggle to deliver, The one blemish on the vic- even on low expectations. tory was a yellow card for de- It was a contest that lacked fender Mikael Lustig, who will quality, particularly in the final now be suspended for the quar- third, where both teams were ter-final in Samara on Saturday. often painfully imprecise. Switzerland’s midfielder Gelson Fernandes (L) comforts defender Manuel Akanji

WORLD CUP PREDICT ANDYesterday’s WIN lucky winner is Francis Pereira. Winner will be contacted Real Madrid deny Neymar bid Ronaldo-to-Juventus rumours heating up AFP | Madrid ESPN | Madrid story means that Real Madrid are at least considering the possibility eal Madrid have denied a report umours of a potential trans- of negotiations with Juventus. Rthat they have offered a world-re- Rfer that would send Cristiano Spanish newspaper AS report- cord 310 million euros ($360.59 mil- Ronaldo from Real Madrid to ed that Ronaldo’s camp had con- lion) for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) Italian champions Juventus led firmed the existence of an offer forward Neymar. the front pages of multiple daily from Juventus -- and that more Spanish television channel TVE re- sport newspapers in Europe on could follow in the coming days ported on Monday that the Champi- Tuesday. -- but insisted that no deal was ons League winners had submitted Marca in Spain and A Bola in completed. the bid for the player who left Barce- Ronaldo’s native Portugal were Juventus CEO Giuseppe Marot- lona last year for a record 222 million discussing a report on Spanish TV ta met with Ronaldo’s agent Jorge euros. station La Sexta’s “Jugones” show Mendes last week while finalising “In light of information broadcast on Monday night that claimed the signing of another client, Por- tonight by TVE regarding an alleged Real Madrid had agreed to sell tugal full-back Joao Cancelo. Cristiano Ronaldo Real Madrid offer to PSG and their Ronaldo to Juventus for 100 mil- Any transfer would still require player Neymar, Real Madrid C. F. lion euros. Ronaldo to agree personal terms wishes to state that this information The newspa- tential transfer, but did not con- Tuesday said Juventus are still on a new contract. The “Jugones” is absolutely untrue,” the club said in pers cited the firm the claim that the deal has preparing an offer of nearly 120m report said Juventus would offer statement on their website. TV report in already been agreed. euros for Ronaldo. to make Ronaldo the highest-paid “Real Madrid has made no offer of their own dis- Meanwhile, the story on the Sources told ESPN Deportes’ player in their history at 30m eu- any kind to PSG or the player.” cussions of a po- front of Italy’s Tuttosport on Paola Nunez that the “Jugones” ros a year.