The Sweden vs Argentina U-17 match will be held this Friday, November 8, 2013 (5:00 AM Pacific) at the Bin Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. After losing their respective semifinal matches, Sweden and Argentina will play for the opportunity to finish the U-17 World Cup held in the United Arab Emirates in third place. While Sweden lost against Nigeria 3-0 in what was mostly a close contest, Argentina was dominated by Mexico with a 3-0 loss.
The team coached by Roland Larsson improved considerably as the tournament reached its final stages. As part of Group F, Sweden finished in third place with 4 points below Nigeria and Mexico. In the Round-of-16 they began to improve their performances, as they defeated a talented Japan squad 2-1. In the quarterfinals they defeated another defensive squad like Honduras, where they would proceed to once again face group rivals Nigeria in the semifinals.
The ‘albiceleste’ was distraught after losing against Mexico in the semifinals as they felt they were the ones who merited the victory. That idea was born from the team’s style of play which is to dominate the ball on the upper-half of the field. While Argentina has been dominant on offense throughout the World Cup, they have been very weak on defense; and that was demonstrated in the semifinals against ‘el Tri’.
In the third place match, the team coached by Humberto Grandona will have to improve defensively, but most importantly, mentally. Argentina is a squad with extraordinary talent, but as demonstrated in the game against Mexico, the players lost their head after their missed penalty kick in the 5th minute. After that, they lost possession of the ball, they began to act aggressively against the opponents, and were also erroneous on defense. Therefore, Friday’s game is not only a chance to earn the third place trophy, but also to show that with intelligence, the team had the qualities necessary to reach the final.
Sweden vs Argentina U-17 Prediction
The Sweden vs Argentina U-17 third place match will be a good match between two teams that want to leave the tournament with their heads held up high. Sweden has been a good rival throughout the World Cup, the defense being their biggest weapon. Contrary to their opponent, Argentina’s biggest strength has been their offense which prevailed throughout the competition with classy goals. Nonetheless, Friday’s match will have a poor tone as they play for status. The Sweden vs Argentina U-17 match will end in a 3-2 win for the South Americans.
Sweden vs Argentina U-17 TV Schedule
The Sweden vs Argentina U-17 match will be televised this Friday, November 8, 2013 on Univision Deportes at 5:00 AM Pacific.
