Home advantage for Spain proved fruitless as the former European champions were downed 7-1 by a super Sweden under Stephen Meany in the ElectroCity FIFA 20 European Championships Group E on Monday night.
Sweden threatened early on but a Forsberg free kick from the right edge of the area went straight to the David de Gea and out for a corner.
Meany had his breakthrough moment with 20 minutes on the clock, Quaison breaking down the left flank, finding Berg unmarked in the middle of the Spanish half. A quick pass to Alexander Isak couldn’t be picked up by Sergio Ramos, Isak smashing home his one-on-one effort from close range (21).
Dominating proceeding to that point, Spain recomposed, reassessed and pressed on looking for the equaliser.
They almost had it too (24), Rodrigo setting up Rodri to unleash a left foot strike from 18 yards out only to see his effort clip the right post and cleared by Hult.
That clearance ultimately wound up at the feet of Olsson at the edge of the Spanish area, cutting bag for Marcus Berg to fire home off his right (27) for Sweden’s second.
Berg turned provider with 35 minutes on the clock, a through ball in the middle of the park setting Isak free, rounding De Gea in the process for his second and Sweden’s third, Carvajal unable to track back in time to clear the ball from the line.
Sergio Ramos went close (40), getting under a Spanish corner, but not close enough to narrow the gap.
Half time and it’s 3-0.
The Second Half
Unfortunately for Brian Hancock’s Spanish side, the pain in Spain didn’t fall mainly in the first half.
Sweden stepped up their efforts throughout the second half, Isak unleashing Quaison into the box, another cheeky back-heel, this time to the on-rushing Aiesh to smashed home from 12 yards (53).
Forsberg could have made it five himself but picked out Quaison ahead of getting clipped by De Gea in the Spanish box (63), Quaison tapping home into an empty net.
Asensio went close for Spain (66), his free kick from 23 yards out cleared off the line. He went close again on 72 but fire wide and right to much despair.
The Spaniards did have their moment of magic, beginning with Koke feeding a low ball to Morata in the Swedish third.
He set Rodrigo free, Morata beating the offside trap to pick up the return ball.
We’ve not seen too many attempts to chip the keeper but Morata did try, his effort tipped away be Olsen, straight into the path of Rodrigo to smash home inside the six yard box (83). No offside, Spain finally off the mark.
The comeback was stopped in its tracks, Sweden adding a sixth through a Jansson volley (86) and Olsson volley (89) to wrap the game up at 7-1.
