Are Sweden becoming worse?

NoMessi

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Jan 2, 2009
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When nationalism makes you stupid. I bow to the great Swedish football team which makes all of Europe dream and makes me jealous.

No, we are a good football country, not as great as Italy, Germany, Argentina, France and Brazil - but we are clearly historically and even present - a tier 2 team. Which is pretty damn good in a sport where most of the world are somewhat relevant.
 

NoMessi

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Jan 2, 2009
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Since the thread is off the rails.. whatever happened to the tennis in Sweden? My own Czechs are down in the men's side but quite high on the womens side.

I seem to recall a steady stream of Top 10 swedes in tennis and that seems to have faded a little. Why?

It faded big time. We are historically a powerhouse in Tennis, but now we are totally irrelevant. After the generation of Norman, Enqvist, Johansson, Bjorkman and others - we hoped for a guy named Vinciguerra. He didnt live up to expectations. After this we had nothing at all and the only outlier was Soderling that got injured a lot and retired early.

Now we have two pretty mediocre brothers in Ymer, who was said to be far ahead anything else in the country, and yet they are pretty useless on the international scene. The junior scene in Sweden, which was pretty good back in the days, is not so bad that even mediocre players gets some level of hype.

We need something drastic to get back in shape, but former strong sports as table tennis and tennis seem to have fallen off in favour of Football, Icehockey and even padeltennis.
 
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Czechboy

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It faded big time. We are historically a powerhouse in Tennis, but now we are totally irrelevant. After the generation of Norman, Enqvist, Johansson, Bjorkman and others - we hoped for a guy named Vinciguerra. He didnt live up to expectations. After this we had nothing at all and the only outlier was Soderling that got injured a lot and retired early.

Now we have two pretty mediocre brothers in Ymer, who was said to be far ahead anything else in the country, and yet they are pretty useless on the international scene. The junior scene in Sweden, which was pretty good back in the days, is not so bad that even mediocre players gets some level of hype.

We need something drastic to get back in shape, but former strong sports as table tennis and tennis seem to have fallen off in favour of Football, Icehockey and even padeltennis.
Thanks.. I actually googled it after... so Ymer is 95th.. then no one from 101 to 200. I didn't look past that.

I was suprised by that as I always thought of Sweden is very good at tennis. Hope it turns around! As mentioned prior, Czech men are at their lowest point in history. Only time in my life where I can see without a doubt that Canada is better at tennis than us. Such a strange time.
 
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Dirtyf1ghter

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Aug 7, 2019
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No, we are a good football country, not as great as Italy, Germany, Argentina, France and Brazil - but we are clearly historically and even present - a tier 2 team. Which is pretty damn good in a sport where most of the world are somewhat relevant.[/QUO

Tier 2 ?!? With a blank palmares, no player on the Ballon d'Or podium in its entire history, only one great player, no performing club in the european cup ? I don't think so. Or the Tier 1 includes nations like the Netherlands, Portugal or Uruguay. Your nationalism blinds you.
 
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NoMessi

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Jan 2, 2009
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Tier 2 ?!? With a blank palmares, no player on the Ballon d'Or podium in its entire history, only one great player, no performing club in the european cup ? I don't think so. Or the Tier 1 includes nations like the Netherlands, Portugal or Uruguay. Your nationalism blinds you.

You just cant read an effin history book. You hate us because we dont have the flashy players atm, but the team is worse than ever and are still top 20 in the world.

Only 1 great player? Are you talking about Gunnar Nordahl or Zlatan? Still, what does invidividuls matter in a team game? We are winning games more than most.

Mall:Poängtabell för Världsmästerskapet i fotboll för herrar – Wikipedia

We have both Malmo FF and IFK Gothenburg that did lots of damage internationally. And club teams doesnt really matter anyway, but still shows how little you know about football in general, and swedish football.

And we are definitely ahead of Portugal still, even though that might change since they have stepped up big time and have a strong generation.

Why do you hate Sweden? Is it because we have player not only from colonized countries or what is it? Tell me one sport you are actually good at that isnt just a lot imported talent. Thank god for your newer citizens, they have the talent traditional french people clearly lack.

Also, riding a bike while doping isnt a sport.
 

NoMessi

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Jan 2, 2009
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Thanks.. I actually googled it after... so Ymer is 95th.. then no one from 101 to 200. I didn't look past that.

I was suprised by that as I always thought of Sweden is very good at tennis. Hope it turns around! As mentioned prior, Czech men are at their lowest point in history. Only time in my life where I can see without a doubt that Canada is better at tennis than us. Such a strange time.

Canada have been picking it up heavily in some sports. Basketball is getting big up there as well now. Canada might be here to stay in both Basketball and Tennis.

Are you guys falling apart at all ranks in Tennis, as we have - or is it just a temporary lack of talent and luck?
 

Garl

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Oct 7, 2006
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You just cant read an effin history book. You hate us because we dont have the flashy players atm, but the team is worse than ever and are still top 20 in the world.

Only 1 great player? Are you talking about Gunnar Nordahl or Zlatan? Still, what does invidividuls matter in a team game? We are winning games more than most.

Mall:Poängtabell för Världsmästerskapet i fotboll för herrar – Wikipedia

We have both Malmo FF and IFK Gothenburg that did lots of damage internationally. And club teams doesnt really matter anyway, but still shows how little you know about football in general, and swedish football.

And we are definitely ahead of Portugal still, even though that might change since they have stepped up big time and have a strong generation.

Why do you hate Sweden? Is it because we have player not only from colonized countries or what is it? Tell me one sport you are actually good at that isnt just a lot imported talent. Thank god for your newer citizens, they have the talent traditional french people clearly lack.

Also, riding a bike while doping isnt a sport.

Biathlon, Rugby

And french people not talented? Come on, one of the biggest cultures in the World.

As for african soccer players, actually, it might be hurting the french players, because african guys are usually early developers, so white french players are not prioritized and lose their confidence and focus at the young age. Similar thing happened with russian wrestling, where young russians are discouraged from wrestling because it is dominated by northern Caucasus people.
 

Garl

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Oct 7, 2006
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Generally before 20 - 30 + x Years Sweden was a great sport nation sometimes world class in Tennis, Handball, Table-Tennis, football(Soccer) and Hockey of course.
Today Sweden are only in hockey a Top-Nation and it seems like in Handball again(But not a powerhouse like in past). But in other sports the swedes has enormously slacked off.
Sweden is still strong in Bandy))
 

NoMessi

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Jan 2, 2009
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Biathlon, Rugby

And french people not talented? Come on, one of the biggest cultures in the World.

As for african soccer players, actually, it might be hurting the french players, because african guys are usually early developers, so white french players are not prioritized and lose their confidence and focus at the young age. Similar thing happened with russian wrestling, where young russians are discouraged from wrestling because it is dominated by northern Caucasus people.

Rugby, the only somewhat relevant sport (a lesser version of icehockey) is the only thing they are good at. I would say that this disqualify french people from ever shitting on Sweden again, since we are obviously better in sports, especially considering our population. And a niche cross-country skiing sport. In which btw they are not even far ahead of us here in Sweden, if they even are traditionally. I know weve had some success with a dominant Magdalena Forsberg at least.
 

ZEBROA

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General Hockey Discussion?????

Other sports are only good to get the kids to be more complete trained hockeyplayers. Thats all.
 

21

Peter The Great
Aug 17, 2005
4,389
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Sweden
I'm still waiting for Norway to get better in hockey though.

Norway is a country with many great winter athletes but they kind of s*ck in hockey, when will this change?

Denmark truly has potential as well.

A better Norway and Denmark would be really good for the hockey and competition between the Nordic countries.

Sweden still have a lot to learn from Finland. Sweden may have a slightly stronger team spirit but Finns in general have a great fighting spirit. We need a slightly stronger winning mentality in Sweden, warriors like Forsberg. Team spirit is stilll important though, the Vikings where no super men/warriors/gods but the team spirit was clearly superior and we still see this mentality today.

Finlands current generation looking really strong and dangerous, we (Sweden) should be concerned.

Sweden do produce amazing defensive players though, no other country come close except from perhaps Canada. Mostly offensive d-men though, North America way ahead when it comes to physical d-men.
 
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21

Peter The Great
Aug 17, 2005
4,389
1,199
Sweden
It faded big time. We are historically a powerhouse in Tennis, but now we are totally irrelevant. After the generation of Norman, Enqvist, Johansson, Bjorkman and others - we hoped for a guy named Vinciguerra. He didnt live up to expectations. After this we had nothing at all and the only outlier was Soderling that got injured a lot and retired early.

Now we have two pretty mediocre brothers in Ymer, who was said to be far ahead anything else in the country, and yet they are pretty useless on the international scene. The junior scene in Sweden, which was pretty good back in the days, is not so bad that even mediocre players gets some level of hype.

We need something drastic to get back in shape, but former strong sports as table tennis and tennis seem to have fallen off in favour of Football, Icehockey and even padeltennis.

We are living in the computer era with "Esports" growing in popularity. From a physical point of view this is devastating for our new generations. It's not like before when everything we did on our free time was doing different sports outside and competing.

I feel the state/government, schools, parents and athletic clubs are a bit lazy in this regard. They have to get much better in informing the new generations about sports, physical activities and the truly negative effects of a passive life (getting fat and lazy).

Esports is a bit scary because potentially it is increadibly time consuming, it messes up your sleep, your grades in school, your health and everything. Only a few will be able to do it on a professionell basis but many getting addicted.
 
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Lambo

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Jan 10, 2019
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I'm still waiting for Norway to get better in hockey though.

Norway is a country with many great winter athletes but they kind of s*ck in hockey, when will this change?

Denmark truly has potential as well.

A better Norway and Denmark would be really good for the hockey and competition between the Nordic countries.

Sweden still have a lot to learn from Finland. Sweden may have a slightly stronger team spirit but Finns in general have a great fighting spirit. We need a slightly stronger winning mentality in Sweden, warriors like Forsberg. Team spirit is stilll important though, the Vikings where no super men/warriors/gods but the team spirit was clearly superior and we still see this mentality today.

Finlands current generation looking really strong and dangerous, we (Sweden) should be concerned.

Sweden do produce amazing defensive players though, no other country come close except from perhaps Canada. Mostly offensive d-men though, North America way ahead when it comes to physical d-men.
This is interesting! In german Football i see similary problems like Sweden in hockey. The german Football lose more and more the fighting spirit and have lack of "warriors" too. Sorry i don t want to open a new discussion. ;)
 

21

Peter The Great
Aug 17, 2005
4,389
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Sweden
This is interesting! In german Football i see similary problems like Sweden in hockey. The german Football lose more and more the fighting spirit and have lack of "warriors" too. Sorry i don t want to open a new discussion. ;)

Yes, a true winning and fighting mentality is unfortunately more and more rare. Not really sure why, perhaps some players earn too much money and losing some of the real true passion, they get comfortable. Passion or heart is another good word to describe what I am looking for. When you hire people for a job or a player for a hockey team you want passion/heart. Some player have this passion, extra gear, ability and awareness but not all. Hmmm, at least it matters how much, various degrees of clutch and winning mentality. ;-)

Peter Forsberg is for me a good example of a player with a pure winning mentality. In important situations he simply gave it all, stepping it up. Sidney Crosby another one. In critical situations Peter got way more selfish (good and bad), his crazy one man rushes, crushing hits, stickhandling through the traffic, everything it has to take for winning.

Some players (and humans) step up at difficult pressured situations but not all (some thrive and start working harder, but some other may start feeling negative pressure in a critical situation). You can see this in other situations too, not only in a hockey game.
 
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Dirtyf1ghter

Registered User
Aug 7, 2019
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You just cant read an effin history book. You hate us because we dont have the flashy players atm, but the team is worse than ever and are still top 20 in the world.

Only 1 great player? Are you talking about Gunnar Nordahl or Zlatan? Still, what does invidividuls matter in a team game? We are winning games more than most.

Mall:Poängtabell för Världsmästerskapet i fotboll för herrar – Wikipedia

We have both Malmo FF and IFK Gothenburg that did lots of damage internationally. And club teams doesnt really matter anyway, but still shows how little you know about football in general, and swedish football.

And we are definitely ahead of Portugal still, even though that might change since they have stepped up big time and have a strong generation.

Why do you hate Sweden? Is it because we have player not only from colonized countries or what is it? Tell me one sport you are actually good at that isnt just a lot imported talent. Thank god for your newer citizens, they have the talent traditional french people clearly lack.

Also, riding a bike while doping isnt a sport.

I have nothing against Sweden. I fight your nationalist point of view and even more your racist taunt.

I was sure you were going to tell me about a player who played a long, long time ago to contradict me. The facts you speak of are very old. Besides that you hide a lot of nations in the world which have done more and in much more recent times.

Today, young native Europeans are in the minority in large French cities and play football very little. France did not wait for players of African origin to perform. French football reached his peak in the 80s and 90s with predominantly European players. The last French generation before the Giscard law included players like Jean-Pierre Papin, Eric Cantona or David Ginola.

France gave many emigrants to other countries (Canada for Hockey, South-Africa for rugby). Lafrenière, Raymond, Perreault, Brisson, Bourque, Bordeleau in the last draft. Beniers, Savoie to the next.

I find your comment very daring considering that no native Swedish has approached the level of Griezmann or Ribéry for 80 years.

It's been a long time since Portugal dropped Sweden in terms of level. About 25 years old. And the Portuguese history is far superior to that of Sweden. There is not even a debate.

Pathetic guy.
 
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Czechboy

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Apr 15, 2018
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Canada have been picking it up heavily in some sports. Basketball is getting big up there as well now. Canada might be here to stay in both Basketball and Tennis.

Are you guys falling apart at all ranks in Tennis, as we have - or is it just a temporary lack of talent and luck?
The Vball in Canada is getting decent too!

Czechs always have politics involved and corruption. Sounds like the person in charge of Men's tennis needs to go. This is the first time in my life where I can recall not having a ranked player in Men's tennis.

It is back on the rise though.. we something similar to a Junior Davis Cup and have a good cohort coming through. Of course, like hockey, transitioning from Junior to Pro is not easy and that does not guarantee anything. Currently we are poor! Our best Czechs are American Sebastian Korda followed by Canadian Vasek Pospisil.lol Note: I'm joking as they both are legit members of the US and Canadian team but do have strong Czech routes.
 

Pavel Buchnevich

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I'm not really sure what the expectation is. Sweden is a smaller country than Canada and has a lot less hockey players. They aren't going to produce as many good players. They can compete in these best on best tournaments, but probably will never have the absolute most talented team. There's really nothing they can do about the USA improving and potentially having more talented players. USA is another country thats much bigger than Sweden and has a lot more registered hockey players. Once USA's hockey system started producing players efficiently it was always going to produce more good players than a country like Sweden. Thats not Sweden's fault, and USA isn't yet in a different tier than Sweden, so its probably not even a relevant point yet.

Is Sweden best of the rest? Probably so. I think around 20-30 years ago Russia would've been considered better than Sweden, and the old Czechoslovakia, so even if Sweden is losing ground to USA, they've gained ground on the old Soviet bloc. Finland might get better results in these junior tournaments, but I still think Sweden produces better players. I'd put Sweden third right now overall in Mens hockey. And the top tier is close enough that in these best on best tournaments anyone of the top five can win any time. Even though Sweden tends to get bad results in the WJC20, we see every time these tournaments are played that Sweden's players aren't demonstrably worse than the Canadian or American players.
 

Lambo

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Jan 10, 2019
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I'm not really sure what the expectation is. Sweden is a smaller country than Canada and has a lot less hockey players. They aren't going to produce as many good players. They can compete in these best on best tournaments, but probably will never have the absolute most talented team. There's really nothing they can do about the USA improving and potentially having more talented players. USA is another country thats much bigger than Sweden and has a lot more registered hockey players. Once USA's hockey system started producing players efficiently it was always going to produce more good players than a country like Sweden. Thats not Sweden's fault, and USA isn't yet in a different tier than Sweden, so its probably not even a relevant point yet.

Is Sweden best of the rest? Probably so. I think around 20-30 years ago Russia would've been considered better than Sweden, and the old Czechoslovakia, so even if Sweden is losing ground to USA, they've gained ground on the old Soviet bloc. Finland might get better results in these junior tournaments, but I still think Sweden produces better players. I'd put Sweden third right now overall in Mens hockey. And the top tier is close enough that in these best on best tournaments anyone of the top five can win any time. Even though Sweden tends to get bad results in the WJC20, we see every time these tournaments are played that Sweden's players aren't demonstrably worse than the Canadian or American players.
Despite i would put my money for Sweden instead US in a big torunament. Thje swedish NT is better than US since decades. Maybe in NHL the US ve thier Top-Individuals. but the gap isn t very big. Only Canada floats above all. ;)
 

QnebO

Wheel, snipe, celly
Feb 11, 2010
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That's a dying sport, which is a shame but an indisputable fact.
Floorball? Its a good hockey simulation / part of general training program of kids when they grow to be hockey players. And for those who quit hockey, its fun, more realistic than EA sports but less realistic than real hockey. :sarcasm:
 

MattiasSnall

Registered User
May 1, 2018
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Floorball? Its a good hockey simulation / part of general training program of kids when they grow to be hockey players. And for those who quit hockey, its fun, more realistic than EA sports but less realistic than real hockey. :sarcasm:
No, no. no... Bandy is what he meant, played outdoors, 11 vs 11 on a field the size of a football field, floorball is something bandyplayers and icehockeyplayers play at preseason to stay fit. :D
 
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Eye of Ra

Grandmaster General of the International boards
Nov 15, 2008
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Malmö, Sweden
Generally before 20 - 30 + x Years Sweden was a great sport nation sometimes world class in Tennis, Handball, Table-Tennis, football(Soccer) and Hockey of course.
Today Sweden are only in hockey a Top-Nation and it seems like in Handball again(But not a powerhouse like in past). But in other sports the swedes has enormously slacked off.

we are also a top nation in floorball and bandy.
 

Eye of Ra

Grandmaster General of the International boards
Nov 15, 2008
17,963
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Malmö, Sweden
I have nothing against Sweden. I fight your nationalist point of view and even more your racist taunt.

I was sure you were going to tell me about a player who played a long, long time ago to contradict me. The facts you speak of are very old. Besides that you hide a lot of nations in the world which have done more and in much more recent times.

Today, young native Europeans are in the minority in large French cities and play football very little. France did not wait for players of African origin to perform. French football reached his peak in the 80s and 90s with predominantly European players. The last French generation before the Giscard law included players like Jean-Pierre Papin, Eric Cantona or David Ginola.

France gave many emigrants to other countries (Canada for Hockey, South-Africa for rugby). Lafrenière, Raymond, Perreault, Brisson, Bourque, Bordeleau in the last draft. Beniers, Savoie to the next.

I find your comment very daring considering that no native Swedish has approached the level of Griezmann or Ribéry for 80 years.

It's been a long time since Portugal dropped Sweden in terms of level. About 25 years old. And the Portuguese history is far superior to that of Sweden. There is not even a debate.

Pathetic guy.

tomas brolin was very good, got his career destroyed by injuries sadly.
 
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