Tuesday, September 26, 2023
The Swedish Garrincha, Part 1
The sixties was a frustrating period for the Swedish national team. After their superb achievement of reaching the final at their "home" World Cup in 1958, they met with a series of close-call qualifying failures. Eliminated by Switzerland in a playoff for the 1962 World Cup, and losing to defending champions the USSR at the quarter-final stage of the 1964 Nations Cup, they seemed well-placed for a berth in England in 1966 after holding the fancied West Germans to a draw in Berlin, in their otherwise undemanding group. But in the return in Stockholm, an Uwe Seeler-inspired German side came from behind to win 2-1, and the Swedes missed out again.
There were changes afoot in European football around this period. Many smaller nations were embracing professionalism for the first time, and rapid improvement resulted - spectacularly so, in the case of the Netherlands. But Sweden stuck resolutely to its amateur system, and ambitious young players such as the little winger Kurt Hamrin had to look for opportunities elsewhere, as had distinguished predecessors such as Nils Liedholm and Gunnar Gren. Hamrin found stardom at Fiorentina, and his experience at the highest level was a boon to the national side. But others who ventured abroad did not always meet with similar success.
The qualifying series for Mexico 1970 pitted Sweden against France and Norway. The French had qualified for the previous tournament but had been uninspiring, both then and subsequently. It looked like the Swedes were in with a decent chance.
Their hopes grew inordinately thanks to a shock early result: the French went down 1-0 at home against minnows Norway, whom the Swedes had already trounced in Stockholm. After Orvar Bergmark's Swedish side won away against their neighbours as well (helped by one of the most sweetly-struck volleys of all time), they could assure themselves of qualification with a win over France at home.
It was, however, a laboured Swedish performance against the French in Stockholm. True, their new star, Feyenoord's Ove Kindvall, won and converted a rather soft penalty late in the first half. But as the match wore on, the French looked more and more dangerous, and the Swedes less and less effective.
All that changed with a second-half substitution. The new arrival, a 24-year-old outside-right, suddenly made the Swedes look a different side with his fine close control, swift movement and penetration. On 65 minutes, Kindvall's smartly-taken second goal killed off any lingering French hopes, and at the final whistle Sweden could celebrate their first appearance at a World Cup since 1958.
But the game-changing substitute would not be there.
Not because of injury. Not because of a dip in form - indeed, he was in the form of his life prior to the event. Not because of any personal animus towards the coach, or vice versa.
It was, instead, one of the many cruel ironies which attended his status as a Swede abroad, in those distant pre-Bosman days, that prevented Roger Magnusson from displaying his talents on the biggest stage.
This is the story of the "Swedish Garrincha", one of the finest wingers of his day, who never attained the wider renown that his footballing prowess deserved. More in Part 2.
