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The Swedes trained at their hotel on the Black
Sea before departing for Samara where they will face England in
their first World Cup last eight match since 1994, when they
came third in the tournament.
"All we (can) do is focus on our own game. We've proven to other
people and to ourselves that when we're at the right level we
can make it very difficult for teams, and we're not going to try
to do anything else against England," midfielder Sebastian
Larsson told reporters.
Larsson has spent his adult life in England playing for a
variety of clubs in England's top two divisions, and with a move
back to Sweden and AIK already secured, this might be the last
English fans get to see of the 33-year-old.
"It's a game I'm really looking forward to, it's the
quarter-finals of the World Cup and for me personally to be
going up against England, the country where I spent 17 years,
it's obviously a little bit special," he said.
"We've got huge respect for England, they've got quality players
all over the pitch, they're a good team, but for us, like we
have been doing for most of this tournament, we're trying to
focus mostly on ourselves."
After knocking out Italy in a qualification playoff for Russia,
the Swedes won a group containing world champions Germany before
defeating Switzerland in the last 16, but England will be a step
up again for Larsson and his team mates.
"We know we have to reach our own standards, which is very close
to our maximum like we have done, and that's the only way to win
football games at this level," he said.
Larsson's midfield partner Albin Ekdal had a scan on a twisted
ankle on Wednesday but was back training on Thursday and is
expected to start against England, and striker Ola Toivonen is
ready for another tough day of running.
Toivonen scored in the 2-1 loss to Germany but otherwise it's
been slim pickings for him and fellow striker Marcus Berg due to
the amount of unselfish running demanded of them by coach Janne
Andersson's defensive system.
"We know our game, we know we're not going to have the ball as
much, but we need to do the work for the team," Toivonen said.
(Reporting by Philip O'Connor; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
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