– It’s fantastic to be ready for the playoffs, we were a bit down there for a while. After the Slovenia match it looked pretty dark. It is in situations like this that we get to show who we are and we have done that, says Karl Wallinius to SVT Sport.
The opposition in the quarter-finals, where all matches are played on Wednesday, August 7, will be decided during the day.
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The entire play-off will be played in Lille, which means that the Swedish team will be allowed to leave Paris.
Jim Gottfridsson was back from his suspension and pushed forward to make it 32-22 despite strong courting with a jersey pull at the line, which was his third goal of the game. Gottfridsson also put the finishing 40-27 in the final second where the Swedish team was never tested.
The match had a return as early as 09.00.
– There was a bit of a Partille Cup feeling about it and that you have to start warming up before you eat breakfast. Well, joking aside, but the clock was set for 05.30, says Sebastian Karlsson, who was the best Swedish goalscorer with six goals.
Wallinius scored a practiced variation
The first half ended with Karl Wallinius throwing himself sideways and twisting his body in connection with a free throw and finding the gap to make it 16-9.
Watch when Japan does a “Japan” in the match against Sweden.
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Photo: Kanal 5 / Max.
– I like to turn left. I hear their coach tells them to cover left and they pull left but leave a hell of a gap and I had to go for it, says Wallinius.
Even there, the game felt decided after strong defensive play and goalkeeper Tobias Thulin, who took every other shot in the first half and finished with 33 percent. Andreas Palicka was substituted once to try to save a free throw.