Sweden coach Lars Lagerback said that he was very sad to see his side being held to a draw against Trinidad and Tobago in their World Cup opener on Saturday. The Swedes dominated most of the game but failed to score against the brave Trinidad team, who played most of the second half with 10 men following the dismissal of Avery John in the 46th minute. "It was a disappointment of course, we were much better but we couldn't score," Lagerback said in a press conference after the game. Lagerback hailed the heroics of Trinidad keeper Shaka Hislop who brilliantly denied his players. "They have some skills and they defended very well, also their goalkeeper made some great saves," Lagerback added. Lagerback, who is leading Sweden in their second successive World Cup, admitted that the draw will make life more difficult for his team before their vital two games against Paraguay and England.
"Now we need to beat Paraguay, but they played very well against England and they will be very tough to beat," Lagerback considered. Meanwhile, Trinidad and Tobago coach Leo Beenhakker praised his players for their brave performance against Sweden. "It was a great performance by us, the way we fought and stayed alive was fantastic," Beenhakker said after the game. The Dutch coach admitted that Sweden had the upper hand throughout the game, but said that his side did more than great to match with the talents of the Swedish stars. "I know the better chances went to Sweden, but if you see their front line they have guys playing at Juventus, Arsenal and Anderlecht while we've guys playing for smaller English clubs," the Dutch coach said. "My players worked hard and everyone was more than 100 percent focused, we are very proud and happy," Beenhakker considered.
