#Hakan Mild

[vahalia-cress]

⸸ Desert Shadows ⸸

[ Content: mild nsfw ]

Vahalia furrowed a brow as she lifted a hand to feel the rain that had begun to fall in Tuliyollal, "Of course..." she huffed lowly and she made her way over to her company for the evening, "Tis an odd thing to ask for a reprieve from the sun only to be brought rain. I think I would have sufficed with a cool breeze. Seems my afternoon and evening at the beach has been thoroughly rained out." she announced herself and opted to shake the droplets of rain from her fingers.

An intense gaze was lost on the blue, and the ships dotting it. It took a moment for Hakan to register Vahalia, her words, as he slowly flexed the hand that wasn't his hand. It felt different and worse, and moved better than the black metal he had been accustomed to "Hmph," he finally released a breath, drawing back into himself. "Shouldn't ask for what you don't really want." Looking skyward, eyes squinting against the drops, he continued "Give it a few hours, it'll pass and be hot enough again you'll miss it."

There was a brief shake of her head, "I doubt that but I haven't been complaining as much as you'd think. Cordelia on the other hand...." she waved off the comment with a flick of her fingers and came to find a spot she'd nestle in to -- right beside Hakan. A barrier against a bit of the rain due to his height and mass, "I brought a few things with me." she added and held out a small draw-string satchel, the sound of glass within clanged gently against one another, "I had the syringes filled yesterday and some...treats I brought on the voyage here.”

The large Highlander looked sidelong at her. Brow arched, then gold hues drifted lower to catch on her chest, much like the lacey material over it. A hum of appreciation came unbidden. "What treats would those be?"

"The kind that could get you into trouble if you're not careful. You seem a little distracted since you've arrived and I thought perhaps they might do you some good. Perhaps to even help with sleep. The syringes are not for consumption unless you're really into that sort of thing -- my blood. We had talked about it previously and I wanted to make good on my word."

He sniffed, lips pursing together. His gaze didn't shift, though he did straighten his neck to avoid a crick. "You're one to talk of trouble," he mused. "I wouldn't mind some more, another distraction for the distraction. Not that reclaiming my sheath wasn't enough already. The blood on the other hand...did you already see if some of your pet's power lingered? I had thought it being attached to your soul made that...unlikely."

A low scoff loosed and Vahalia and lowered her chin, the back of her knuckles lifting to move the curtain of her hair back over her shoulder, "You could always talk about what's bothering you, for a start." she offered and slowly her gaze cut sidelong to Hakan and the satchel, "During my time in Mamook I've bonded with him, I guess you could say. It's simply a theory, an idea, and in the worst case, you just inject yourself with a crazy woman's blood. I drew it after I hosted his abilities. I suppose the rest is just up to you and science."

Hakan let the corner of his mouth quirk before saying "Fair enough." He was tempted to uncross his arms and start some of that trouble, but he let the remains of the rain cool him. A glance away from her bosom and up to the sun, as if to say 'see?' with a nod that the rain indeed did clear up, before it fixed on her face. "Bonding with your voidsent, your...sister, handling that woman -- You've been busy."

"You're deflecting." she sighed before looking back up at him, "But yes, now that business here has been handled there is much yet to be done. Ophelia was a drop in the bucket. A shame you missed it, I'm sure you would have enjoyed her antics. Screams. Threats -- now that the fun has ceased, it feels like an over-extended vacation here."

The Highlander kept his eyes locked on her for a moment more, then turned it to the now clear horizon. "I am," he acknowledged soberly, easily. "Would've depended on her, whether I enjoyed it or not. Some people just rub you wrong and need killing without a fuss. Regardless, I'm sure you could find something to make you itch again easily enough. Plenty of traders now, looking to make a name or establish their fortune. Countless beasts, some you might want to collect. Heard of these, Vidral, that are like the aspects in strength. Creature might appreciate feasting on one, or you might yourself."

"I have a meeting with two in the coming days. They were tradersOphelia had a run-in with before we came upon her. We brought back some of their supplies. I'm hoping they might be interested in trade from Black Water. Saplings, seeds, vegetation, and more should their interest be piqued enough to establish more than just flora and fauna as Pelu traders.”

"Have to see if those'll survive here or not, if you mean transplanting them here in Tural. Agriculture-- Botany- as difficult a science as alchemy." He pulled a hand from his bicep and swept it back over and through his hair, collecting and flicking the moisture off his fingers after. "Two's not bad, considering you weren't even looking. Is any of Ophelia's crew alive to report back on it?"

Vahalia shook her head, "No. We attacked at nightfall and ensured all who were in the area were taken or slain. Her crew much of the same, kill 'em, toss 'em overboard and any of those who favored their life will swear their fealty to me. She spoke of her brothers as a promise and threat but if there is no one left to run back then no message is going to be delivered. Put them to work in Black Water or elsewhere, might as well make use of the able bodies while one can."

"Someone will talk. Someone always talks. It may not even be the remnants that do, whether you confine them to the ship or the island -- Could be one of yours that does it. Spin a tale to a whore, to a bar or inkeep..." He rolled a shoulder. "Only sailor that's quiet is one that's mute."

She shrugged slightly, "A bridge to cross should I come to it. I'm not entirely worried about people talking. However..." she began and looked back to him, hand lifting to hook a finger with his that had been tucked under his elbow, "I'm very keen on hearing what talk you would have to share. You have yet to tell me of your travels."

Hakan stared at her hand, how she twined it with his as she could without impressing. However relaxed he'd been, there was a hardness in its place by the cast of his gaze and tightness of jaw. He breathed deeply. "I took your word and hired a Sharlayan. We set into the sand, only us, for secrecy's sake-- sailors talk after all. An elder I'd gone to, whose directions we followed, led us to a tomb-- temple," he shrugged. Except it wasn't. Maybe in the past hundred years, but it was something different at first. More."

Vahalia’s brow raised as she watched him and she even leaned forward a little to push off from the box and round his side until she stood in front of him, eager to listen, "More as in ---?" She waited for a follow-up, patience was a strength of hers though understanding and care were only reserved for him as her hand rose to adjust to his forearm, concern prodded at her, "What more could a temple or tomb be than what it is?"

He sucked against the back of his front teeth, tongue pressing and running along the point of his canine after. "A prison, maybe, at least. I don't know. It took us weeks to get there, another almost to delve through it...and I'm not sure we found the core or the origin of the place. At some point, I stopped..." He shrugged, lips pursing. "There're parts I can't remember. The only clear thing, the clearest thing, is the moment I placed my hand on something and it...changed." he lifted his hand, the prosthesis, and stared into the palm while practically ignoring the golden color that peeked out of the leather – his fingers. It wasn't just his prosthetic hand but the whole arm that was different, in look and material from the matte black that it'd once been. It had a resemblance to stonework, parts that were faceted instead of sleek.

The Lady Cress furrowed her brow as she watched him, taking in everything he offered to her in knowledge, his experiences, the lack of remembrance, and then some. There was a faint twitch to the corner of her lifts as she moved her hands to his prosthetic. Mindful to be careful she gracefully took the wrist and turned it slightly, "Does it hurt? An odd question but it seems to be bothering you. Or perhaps it is the fact of not knowing the blank space that bothers you more?"

"Yes," nearly as soon as the first question was asked, brow knit and scowling. He curled the fingers into his palm, points digging into the leather before her. One could've expected a sound of grating or crunching as moving stone was wont to do, but there was nothing. "It shouldn't, but it does like actual flesh is supposed to." He clenched his jaw tighter, muscles standing out. "The not remembering...I can't tell if it was because of the place, or if the doses you gave me were not working...And there are other things, things I remember but shouldn't. Or should."

His company aimed to stop him from destroying anything he wore upon the hand and she placed both her hands over his that had been balled, "Interesting to say the least. Have you thought about reaching out to someone who might have the knowledge of your prosthetic that could assist you in some answers?" she unfurled his fingers from his palm, her own hovering over inorganic palm and digits as she simply made to caress the space, "What do you remember?"

Hakan couldn’t help but scoff sharply as he picked up his gaze to look at her. The curve to the corner of his mouth spoke of amusement while his eyes said something else. "You think finding someone capable of understanding this easy? The arm was metal and circuits before, now it's living earth or something." He shook his head. "My expedition was dangerous enough before I learned the truth, now I've more questions than answers, and knowing either is anything close to safe." pressed his lower tier against the edge of his teeth. "There are periods of time, back during the war for example, where I was apparently...elsewhere. Not working as a spy or a Pyr."

Vahalia hummed thoughtfully and she studied his hand a little more -- what she could of it anyways, "And you know nothing else beyond that?" she asked, keeping the questions simple though for him they were likely anything but simple to put into proper words. Angling her head she brought forth the heavy hand and placed a small kiss to the palm of it, leathers and all.

"Nothing that I can make sense of," he said with a shake of his head. Before, he would've watched near impassive at the affection being placed, lack of proper sensation meaning it was merely a sentimental offering. Now he could feel it, or at least feel it more than he did. Turning his hand, uncoiling his fingers, he took her chin. Lowered his grasp to her throat, where skin just met choker to feel both at once.

She loosed a mild breath of annoyance at him pulling away from her affections. A small narrowed gaze cut towards him as he opted to keep his hand where it rested; not that she had felt threatened at any capacity, "Perhaps in time things will come together, piece by piece. However, I'll be sure to keep my ears open if anyone of interest to your affliction can be of assistance. It seems you are in deep with foreign unknowns more than myself."

Hakan’s vibrantattention narrowed, focusing on the heat permeating her skin, the lace material covering it. It wasn't so much foreign, he'd known the sensation before, just not with the hand touching her. It was near as much a distraction as she was the day he arrived in Tural. Then her words rang in his ear like a bell, drawing him away, and he frowned. "Unknowns," he parroted. Plural. She was right and it wasn't appealing. "The affliction, its been different too. Not gone, but not feeling like it's about to consume me at any time either."

Light golden eyes shifted over Hakan’s face briefly before turning to his hand and arm, "Perhaps there is something within the arm itself tempering it or negating the effects. Unknowns aren't entirely iniquitous, it just means you haven't a solid answer yet. You are neither dead nor on death's door so I would consider that an achievement for the time being. Sometimes a curse by another name is simply a gift for someone who has the spine to use it."

His mouth pulled to the side, subtly disagreeing. 'Not on death's door.' That door was as tall as it was wide, and very easy to slip through. "Time'll sort it. Till then..." He relaxed his fingers, tips ghosting over her before curling until the only contact was a knuckle resting just beneath Vahalia’s chin. "I traveled half a moon to get here, so I'm going to enjoy and explore till the curse presses again."

Vahalia’s hand easily placed its mark on his wrist, a simple touch with no motive behind it other than to just be present, "Be it far from me to stop you. You've always blipped here and there to your own calling. I've heard talks of a strange dome near Shaaloani if that piques your interest to explore such a place -- though I hear it's arid there."

"I think I'm full up on arid climes for a small while at least, having just left Dalmasca. Plenty this of the side bridge to occupy me, unless you intend to cross it and see what's beneath the dome beside something reeking of mistakes."

A shake of her head came, "I have no interest in it. I know well enough to leave some things be and that seems to fall under that category for me. Quite satisfied here until I have somewhere else to be." there was a small tilt to her head and she lowered her mouth to place a small kiss along the digit nearest her chin, eyes still sharp in Hakan's direction, "One of these days we should take a true vacation. I think I might overlook some work being done in Black Water, be more of a permanent fixture."

 "Careful speaking so, you'll have me thinking you're resting on your laurels. And if you've time enough to take what you've ever been reluctant to til now, I might get the idea to fulfill my promise, see Evran and Idalia become older siblings."

Her slender arms reached to either side of Hakan and she pulled herself inward, chin finding the forearm of his other that stayed relatively stationary, "Resting? Luv, you know me better than that. Nothing wrong in looking over something I'm responsible for and the machine only works as well as it is routinely oiled." Adjusting her chin she gazed up to him with an impish smirk, "Evran and Idalia are but babes, still. Plenty of time for them to fill a dutiful role of older siblings."

Instantly he curled his finger against her jaw until she was too close for the touch to become anything but awkward. "Busy you might be, you'll be in one place. And if I'm with, what else for me to do but breed my witch? Sorting paperwork and directing people to do what they should isn't what I'd consider a vacation, never mind work I'll do without pay."

Her smirk only deepened, a dimple nestling into her cheek as her mouth opened slightly, "Who said anything about opposing the notion? I'll handle the paperwork while you handle me. A fair trade I think, besides. If you get comfortable enough I just might keep you in one place longer than a week."

"Longer than a week? If you mean Black Water, a week won't be particularly hard. Having you bound and chained any less than that would just leave me unsatisfied -- Though speaking of it, it occurred that leaving Ishgard has the downside of abandoning the accommodations we made there. You'll have to spare some more expense and room to transfer it all to the new estate unless you plan on leaving the dungeon for Valeria as a surprise."

Golden eyes squinted as Vahalia stared up at his mien, a small grumble erupted from her. A few moment passed and her hand came around to smooth up along the front of his leathers, delving warm palm in along the bare skin on his chest, "Consider staying longer and I'll make a room and quarters into an entire home. Should I have a second residence, I'll have all the accomidations met. Even those at your behest unless, of course, you plan on not staying for an unforeseeable amount of time. You have given me your trust and time and I've developed it into more between us. You've given me seed and I've made us a family. Give me a reason and a brick and I'll procure a home."

Hakan loosed a hum that rumbled in his chest, skin searing beneath her touch. He took in a breath, his arms unfolding proper, and decided to mirror the placement of her hands. Turnabout was fair play, and if his hands did more than just frame the underside and sides of her breasts, it was her fault for choosing to wear that odd excuse for a top. "Are they not reason enough already? A place of stability in a life otherwise untethered? Every ship needs a port to call theirs, to weather what storm comes."

Her face drew rather stoic at the self-invitation but she allowed it nonetheless, "That begs a question, are you the ship or the port?" a small, fanciful flirt though a curious thought as it were, "I'd keep you all to myself if you allowed it. Nail you to the floor in shackles to keep you from leaving so much as you have a penchant for doing -- alas, I know your temperament and I know you always feel the need to keep moving. Your need is much like my own to keep working."

 "I thought it obvious, you being the berth I tether to." He kept his touch mild, and casual with his exploration. "I suppose it would only be fair, you being allowed to do so with how often you wear the chains...but I think by now you know I'm anything but. Maybe one day I'll leave the dock behind, and the ship. Maybe one day I'll leave the port and the island for good, haul you with. Make you headmistress of the ship."

She felt her shoulders drop," A berth? My, you're so charming." he was certainly anything but, indeed. Her fingers drummed at the center of his chest before slipping away, "You need only ask and I would go. Speaking of -- we could get out of here for a bit and find a room, the baths, or even the shoals? I'm sure you're not likely to waste your day away staring at waves."

He had to stifle a scoff or a chuckle -- he wasn't sure which. "So you'd rather be called the dock, to which my prow is first to enter and reluctant to leave?" Of course, Halia was not best pleased despite being the one who broached nautical terms as the line for flirtation. While her own fingers slipped away, his remained full. "We could," he entertained the notion of leaving, head dipping slight to one side. "Or, you could give a reason why a bath, or those shoals outside Xbalyav, would be needed  on top of being enjoyed first."

"Well I don't know about you but the docks fishermen use, crates, barrels, and onlooking passersby and gawking Mamool Ja aren't exactly something I'd consider enjoyable. Certainly not intimate or private let alone appealing beyond the necessity of them."

"Tst- This, coming from the woman that enjoyed being taken in a side alley to a busy street on Ishgard." He breathed a sigh through his nose, hands lifting her breasts beneath the top without intent to hold until they slid out of palm and he was lifting the beachwear instead. Fingers toyed with the lace. "Didn't think there was a method you didn't enjoy relieving me with."

She nearly rolled her eyes and simply lifted her hands behind her neck where the long drape of her sable hair shifted, "I never ask anything of you, only to indulge me once in a while. But seeing as you'd rather play verbal cat and mouse then I'll simply avoid the back and forth and indulge you and your whims." untying the string from her attire she reached around and did the very same around her torso, dropping the piece to the wooden planks below them, "Fine. I'll bite but if anyone comes lurking around, you’ll have to settle them.”

His gaze lifted with a hum on his lips, then let it fall when she started to undo the straps. "Only if it's light." There was almost, what could've been on anyone else, a pout on his face as he watched the fabric drop. "I enjoy the back and forth," he commented lowly, hand once more moving so he could brush a thumb over metal. "And I was hoping you'd keep it on..." Shaking his head, he half rested on the edge of the crate behind him while settling the prosthetic on her shoulder to introduce her to a more humbled position.

A quiet atmosphere, warm baths and the cool shoals at night would have to wait.

collab w/ @belgravexiv

[aurreramutilak]

1997.09.13 Liga 1997–1998 / J3 Real Madrid 2 – 0 Real Sociedad

[sumers]

NETFLİXTEKİ IMDB PUANI 8.0 ÜSTÜ İLK 30  DİZİ

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[fossadeileonixv]

WTF Friday: International Break Blues

WTF indeed.

[Deep inhale]

“You smell that? That’s the smell of freshly rolled sod in 15,000 capacity stadiums. The smell of melted plastic as a print machine presses the name of a last-minute fill in on the back of a jersey. The smell of sanitizer wiping down every inch of the locker room three times a day. It’s the smell I associate with my favorite time of the year. The smell of the late season international break.”

That’s an excerpt from my yet-to-be-completed screenplay ‘For Country, For Glory’, a four hour epic following a promising young Italian midfielder who’s career and relationship is turned upside-down following a gruesome knee injury in the dying minutes of a friendly, 3-1 win against Finland.

Anyways, while I’m waiting for that project to get greenlit, I’ll keep things here fresh with a rare TR sponsored WTF. Because we have some WTF to talk about right now, with (props to the Offside) 14 players out on international duty at the moment. FIFA knows best, so I’m trusting the necessity of all this, but it doesn’t quell all my concerns. So let’s get to them.

Return of the Old Lion

This was the egocentric decision none of us saw coming but should have fully seen coming. 39 year-old black-belt Zlatan Ibrahimovic made his first appearance for country after retiring almost five years ago, playing 84 minutes and getting the assist as Sweden went atop their group with a 1-0 victory over Georgia. The mercurial vet had this to say post-match:

"It felt good. It felt like it was my first international match. It was a lot of adrenaline. I think I could have done a lot more, but we won the match and that is the most important thing."

I italicized that portion of the quote because for one, Ibra is constantly trying to do more than he should and more than he is probably capable of (this is a cheapshot, come at me), but two, please man, take it easy. The decision to return to the national team was his to make. To me it seems unnecessary and rather self-serving, but it isn’t really my position to tell someone what to do. And at the risk of not adequately addressing the larger topic of the relationship between player, club, and country, Zlatan’s decision to return to Sweden does have possible ramifications for Milan who should be, at his salary, the priority. When Milan brought him back to Europe and when they re-signed him at 7m for the 20-21 season, I do not think they anticipated that he would sign up for additional matches that wouldn’t benefit the club. For me, someone who admittedly has grown tired of the man’s act, this is a slight gesture of disrespect towards Milan. While I don’t deny his impact on the club, he is earning far more than a player of his caliber should earn and the decision to take on these extra matches, with Milan in the situation they are in right now, really turns me off.

I do hope this is considered when his contract runs up in June as the Euros take place this summer and World Cup qualifiers and friendlies continue next fall.

An Offer you look like you’ll refuse

I watched the Italy-Northern Ireland match the other day and one of the coolest parts of the match was seeing our very own Teflon Don between the sticks. The man is a superstar, and arguably our sole genuine world-class player and Italy’s #1 for at least the next decade. The feeling was dampened by the commentators speculation on whether or not Don would resign with his contract running up in three months.

If you’ve been following the rumor rags, Maldini & Co. have been lining up potential replacements for the 22 year-old, a potentially embarrassing sign that management has been unable to work out an arrangement to secure his services for next year. Embarrassing because if Don walks, the best young keeper in the world has left a rebuilding club for nothing. Now, I love Don. I would overpay to keep him for a number of reasons, but I understand football is a business and especially following the summer of ‘17 debacle, I’m under no illusion that this kid will be here his entire career, at least with Mino as his agent. I also understand that because of Mino, any contract negotiation is going to be a drawn-out dog fight in which everyone ends up resenting each other. 

However, Milan have really painted themselves into a corner. They have 90-some-odd days to work out a contract or he leaves and signs with Juve another club for free. And we lose a world-class keeper that should have been sold before things got to this point. The Hakan and Zlatan contracts I understand. It isn’t clear whether either fit into the project. But Don absolutely does and a decision should have been made far before this point.

Mino is a top-level dirtbag, but y’all really shoulda known better.

Odds and Ends

Badly behaved kids. by all accounts Sandro Tonali had a dreadful U-21 performance the other night against the Czech Republic which culminated in a pretty bad kick at an opposing player which earned him a straight red. Bad for Italy but good for us as the conduct earned him a three match ban. Also serving a U-21 ban? This one may surprise you, but mild-as-milk Matteo Gabbia got bopped with two yellows and will miss the next qualifier. Puma Turns Back the Clock on next years kits. I was hoping the leaked pics weren’t the real thing, but it does indeed appear that Puma will be going with the barcode patterns for next year’s home kits, a throwback to that magical 2014-2015 campaign that features one of the worst Milan kits I can recall, which I also own for some reason. Check the eyesore below [via Footy Headlines].

Silly Season Starting Early. Sorry Mike, but when I see Wilfried Singo linked with Milan, I gotta stan for my man. With Dalot looking for cheap return flights to Manchester, the Toro right-back is being rumored as a possible replacement.It is a damn strecth as Liverpool may have already submitted a bid, and the 6′3″ Ivorian probably doesn’t want or need to play second fiddle, but he is a damn prospect. We may have to find new buyers for both Andrea Conti and Mattia Caldara with Parma looking more and more likely to be relegated (Nice job your first year in Serie A-A, Krause) and Atalanta highly unlikely to pick up Caldara’s 15m option. And I am obligated to include this because I like guys who look like they played DH for the Reds in the early 2000′s and had to testify before congress regarding steroids, but reports say Maldini wants SMS. I’d pass. Shoot me.

That’s it for now. Pray for Hauge. 

[thegeekherald]

Unknown Flashes of light on Moon: Is the Moon having a message for us?

Sparkles of lights which keep coming from Moon have kept the scientists puzzled for quite a long time now. It is incredulous that after so much advancement we are unable to lift curtains of this issue. We still don’t have answers that from where this light keeps emanating.

But A German Scientist Hakan Kayal has a belief that he may be onto something special. He said he has a good reason behind the occurrence of such events regularly. The phenomenon in scientific terms is referred to the as transient lunar phenomenon (TLP).

He has claimed that he is able to explain the result of such occurrences with the help of telescopes and stuff. He along with his team members has built an observatory in a remote part of Spain to study the effect.

Finally, the breakthrough arrives:

He explained that the mild budget system that he has designed has two telescopes mounted on the base.

Each telescope is attached with separate cameras. The instrument which in turn are connected to two separate computers using Artificial Intelligence to distinguish the source of the flash.

The telescopes will continuously scan the moon’s surface for lights. It will click a picture if and only if it observes some kind of lightning on the moon.

Mr Kayal stated that the goal was to make the system adapt to absorbing lights and distinguish light sources. Distinguish random phenomenons – such as meteorites or birds passing in front of the camera. So that the possible causes of TLP can be brought down.

Why was it an Achilles heel?

One of the main challenges that lie in front of Mr Kayal and his team is to generate a trusted instrument.

Scientists are well known about the occurring of the effects of TLP. Since the 1950’s they knew TLP but they were never on a large scale so they went unnoticed.

He is optimistic that he will be able to prove his theory that “When the surfaces move gases that reflect the sunlight can have an easy escape from moon’s interiors”. Check out The Geek Herald for more exciting updates.

The post Unknown Flashes of light on Moon: Is the Moon having a message for us? appeared first on The Geek Herald.

[leanpick]

Gareth Southgate defends England squad from Swedish claims of 'entitlement' | Football News

Gareth Southgate defends England squad from Swedish claims of ‘entitlement’ | Football News

By Rory O’Callaghan

Last Updated: 06/07/18 11:28pm

Gareth Southgate insists England are not underestimating Sweden

Gareth Southgate has hit back at Swedish suggestions that England are a “team of entitlement” ahead of their World Cup quarter-final in Samara.

Former Sweden international Hakan Mild has accused the…

[ultrasfcb-blog]

World Cup 2018: All you need to know about Sweden

World Cup 2018: All you need to know about Sweden

World Cup 2018: All you need to know about Sweden

Highlights: Sweden 1-0 Switzerland

England v Sweden Date: Saturday, 7 July (15:00 BST). Venue: Samara Arena, Samara. Coverage: Watch the game live on BBC One, the BBC Sport website and app. Listen live on 5 live, with live text commentary online.

Sweden stand between England and a place in the semi-finals of a World Cup for the first time since 1990.

Janne Andersson’s side arrived in Russia without a win in six games, no goal in 337 minutes and without national hero Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Yet Sweden, 24th in Fifa’s rankings – 12 places below England – find themselves two wins from a first final since 1958.

We take a look at the Scandinavians as they prepare to meet Gareth Southgate’s team in Samara on Saturday (15:00 BST) – Sweden’s first World Cup quarter-final since 1994.

How Sweden got to the quarter-finals

This is Sweden’s first World Cup since making it to the last 16 in Germany in 2006, a campaign which included a 90th-minute equaliser by Henrik Larsson in a 2-2 group draw with England.

They got to Russia the hard way.

Despite beating France, Sweden were runners-up to Les Bleus in their qualifying group although they did finish above the Netherlands.

They then beat four-time world champions Italy 1-0 over two legs in the play-offs to book their place at the World Cup.

In Russia, Sweden were placed in Group F along with world champions Germany, Mexico and South Korea yet finished top with six points before overcoming Switzerland 1-0 in the last 16.

What can England expect from Sweden? Analysis by Shearer & Jenas

No Zlatan but beware Sweden’s ice-Berg

There was talk Ibrahimovic – one of the most decorated and iconic players of the modern game – could come out of international retirement for this tournament.

“If I want I am there,” said the 36-year-old – scorer of 62 goals in 116 games for his country – in March.

Ibrahimovic, who announced his retirement after Sweden were knocked out of Euro 2016, is not part of Andersson’s squad yet Sweden are progressing nicely without the former Manchester United striker.

In total, they have scored 33 goals in 16 games in qualifying and at this tournament. Goals have come from all areas of the team. In qualifying, defenders Mikael Lustig, Victor Lindelof and Andreas Granqvist scored seven of Sweden’s 27 goal between themselves.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic – watch the full interview

Striker Marcus Berg was Sweden’s leading scorer in qualifying with eight goals in 11 matches, including four in one game against Luxembourg, but has yet to find the net in Russia despite starting all four games.

Indeed, Berg has had 13 shots without scoring, the most of any player to fail to score at this World Cup.

However the 31-year-old, who plays his club football in the United Arab Emirates for Al Ain, did manage to win a penalty in the 3-0 group win over Mexico on 27 June.

Spot-kick kings

Sweden have netted six times in four games at this tournament. However, only half of those have been scored in open play by a player in a Swedish shirt.

An own goal helped seal their win against Mexico, while former Wigan Athletic player Granqvist is the first Swede to score two or more goals in a single World Cup tournament since Larsson in 2002 after netting two spot-kicks against South Korea and Mexico.

Sweden also scored a further four penalties in qualifying, with Granqvist getting three of them.

Penalties taken in a shootout are less likely to find the back of the net than those taken in regular play, according to research by Ben Lyttleton, football writer and author of a book on penalties

Sweden revelling in their underdog status

Analysis from BBC Sport’s Paul Fletcher, who watched Sweden beat Switzerland in St Petersburg

It has not gone unnoticed that BBC Radio 5 live pundit Pat Nevin – a Scot, it should be noted – suggested the other day that 99 times out of 100 England should beat Sweden.

Indeed, in the Swedish camp near Krasnodar they are absolutely delighted with this kind of comment.

The players were discussing it the day after their win over the Swiss and see it as a sign that the message they love to spread is once again taking hold.

“Well, it is fun for England to have that sort of confidence,” said captain Granqvist. “Let’s just see how the game goes.”

France and Italy in World Cup qualification, Mexico and Switzerland here in Russia – all have under-estimated Sweden, all lost. Germany were minutes away from the same fate in their group game.

Sweden know that they lack star quality, they know that their strength is that they are a team in the true sense of the word; a group of individuals working towards a common goal.

World Cup 2018: Mexico 0-3 Sweden highlights

The Swedish players think they can frustrate the English by playing in a defensive, kind of boring way. They want to slow the game down, draw its sting.

Southgate’s team showed that they could stay cool and focused against opponents who tried to spoil and aggravate in seeing off Colombia on Tuesday.

Now they must show that they have the intelligence to recognise the Swedish plan and the patience to overcome it.

‘Lack of pace and short of ideas’

Analysis by BBC Sport’s football expert Mark Lawrenson

Granqvist made more clearances than anyone else against Switzerland but he is their biggest voice as well as their stand-out defender.

Granqvist is the man who organises everything for them at the back, and he does a very good job. That organisation is their obvious strength – they were really compact against the Swiss and denied them any space between their defensive lines.

But despite Sweden’s impressive defensive record in Russia, I can see England causing them lots of problems in a way Switzerland could not do.

With the speed and mobility of England’s attacking players, including their full-backs, I think they can move Sweden around in midfield as well as defence.

Sweden are competing in their fifth World Cup quarter-final – they have progressed to the semi-final in three of their previous four (1938, 1958 and 1994), losing only in 1934 against Germany

If they make the pitch as big as possible, and get Kieran Trippier and Ashley Young bombing forward, then I am sure they will find some gaps.

I don’t see Sweden causing England many issues at the other end, though.

Pace is something that Sweden don’t have when they come forward and they seemed short of ideas – they only had a handful of opportunities against Switzerland and had a little bit of good fortune with the deflected goal they scored.

I know they have momentum but, to be brutally honest, they don’t really look like scoring goals.

Head-to-head

England and Sweden have met each other 24 times, and things are very close with eight English wins, nine draws and seven Swedish successes.

However, England won six of the first nine matches, and have only won two of the most recent 15 games – with both coming in the 2011-12 season.

England won 1-0 in a Wembley friendly in November 2011 with Gareth Barry scoring the only goal, before England beat Sweden 3-2 in a thrilling Euro 2012 group game.

Andy Carroll scored a wonderful header to put Roy Hodgson’s side ahead, Sweden scored twice to take a 2-1 lead, before goals from Theo Walcott and Danny Welbeck gave England the three points.

Highlights: Sweden 2-3 England

England and Sweden have twice met in the group stages of World Cup finals, drawing 1-1 in their first match of the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan and then drawing 2-2 in Germany four years later.

The only other time England and Sweden have met during a major tournament came back at the 1992 European Championships, which were staged in Sweden.

Again it was a group match, with the winners going into the semi-finals. David Platt put Graham Taylor’s England ahead early on, Jan Eriksson equalised before Tomas Brolin linked up with Martin Dahlin to score a late winner and seal a 2-1 victory to send the hosts through and knock England out.

That game was also Gary Lineker’s last for England. He needed one goal to equal the then-record of most England goals, which was held by Sir Bobby Charlton on 49 goals, but with the score at 1-1, Lineker was taken off after 62 minutes and replaced by Alan Smith.

The last meeting between the two nations was an international friendly in November 2012, which included an England debut for 17-year-old Raheem Sterling. However, the game saw Ibrahimovic produce a stunning individual performance as he scored four times in a 4-2 Sweden win, including a spectacular 30-yard bicycle kick.

‘England is England, now they think they’ll win the World Cup’ – Eriksson

Former England manager Sven Goran Eriksson expects his home country to win the match. He told Swedish newspaper Expressen: “England will struggle to score goals against Sweden. I think it will be a Swedish victory.”

In a later interview with Aftonbladet, Eriksson said he thought the tie would at least go to extra time. “You can’t claim that either of the two teams line-ups have lots of goal chances in open play,” said the Swede, who was in charge of England from 2001 to 2006.

“There will be few goals and some detail that determines the outcome of the game. I’ll say draw after 90 minutes and then we’ll see how many people have cramps in each team.”

With Sweden’s Sven Goran Eriksson in charge, England reached the World Cup quarter-finals in 2002 and 2006 before losing to Brazil and Portugal respectively

Despite the England players being dubbed ‘The Golden Generation’ when Eriksson was in charge, England went out in the quarter-finals of both the 2002 and 2006 World Cups.

“England is England, now they think they’ll win the World Cup again,” added Eriksson. “Frankly, they have beaten Tunisia and Panama. It takes a little more to win the World Cup. They will not get so many opportunities against Sweden.”

Former Sweden midfielder Hakan Mild thought England will underestimate the Scandinavians. “England is easy to score against”, Mild said in Goteborgs-Posten. “They think they are so damn good. They are not.

“You hardly get terrified when you see the team. They are spoilt youths who earn millions. They don’t have the total desperation required.”

Kennet Andersson, who helped Sweden finish third in the 1994 World Cup, thought Sweden’s better defence would be crucial. “Sweden has renewed their defensive game in such a way that the opponents can’t unpick it,” he told SVT.

“I think there are many teams who don’t want to meet Sweden, because they can’t make their game work against us. I don’t understand how England will be able to score any goals against Sweden.”

How they compare

Sweden goalkeeper Robin Olsen has kept three clean sheets at the 2018 World Cup, while England have conceded one goal in each of their four games.

However, England have more goals, more shots and corners than the Scandinavians.

Interestingly, England’s ball possession at this World Cup is 53% compared to Sweden’s 38% while the Three Lions have attempted 2,140 passes to their opponents’ 1,113.

England have also had 55 goal opportunities and covered 455.23 kilometres – that’s 282 miles. Sweden have not covered as much ground. They’ve clocked up 419 kilometres or 260 miles.

Getting shirty – what the media is saying

Swedish paper Svenska Dagblade (SvD), reports that Sweden fans are finding it difficult to find national replica football shirts at home thanks to the team’s World Cup success.

“Things have gone a bit too well for Sweden”, a spokesman for Adidas told SvD.

“We have been told here at customer service to tell the customers that there is no point going to the shops. The shirts are almost completely gone,” a worker at Adidas’ customer services was quoted saying.

BBC Sport – Football ultras_FC_Barcelona

ultras FC Barcelona - https://ultrasfcb.com/football/7709/

#Barcelona

[fossadeileonixv]

Four Flick-Ons: Milan x Inter

I’ve cooled off a bit. But mostly because I’m back on the swish.

FLICK 1: This was a red flag. I was a big proponent of Marco when Milan announced his hiring. I had seen what he accomplished at Sampdoria and felt he was the right fit for a young squad that was finally backed by a competent ownership group. The summer brought a few minor concerns but nothing that seemed egregious. I trusted that he was implementing a coherent system and was absolutely giving him the benefit of the doubt. I missed the first two matches of the season and, maybe because I didn’t catch either match, chalked it up to the learning curves experienced by both coach and players. The mudwrestling competition that was the 1-0 victory over Verona followed by this abomination in the derby though? I’m now quite concerned. The team itself looks like it has absolutely no idea how to break through a line. Inter fully ignored the tepid and predictable off ball rotations, holding a disciplined mid-block that prohibited anything vertical. They rightfully clamped down on Suso, who once again was the focal point of an attack that suffers from any sort of imagination, forcing off mark cross after off mark cross, after disposession, after backpass, after disposession, and so on and so forth. Defensively, Musacchio and Romagnoli were hung out to dry by Milan Glorie regular Lucas Biglia, mild-as-milk Hakan Calhanoglu, and Keystone Cop cosplayers Andrea Conti and Riccardo Rodriguez. Inter stacked the midfield and Marco was not only unprepared, but rather languid to respond. And I haven’t even touched lineup selection! 

I am hopeful Marco can turn this around and am still giving him some time (though not as much as I was willing to before) but getting dominated in every facet of a home derby... that could be telling.

FLICK 2: Suso and Hakan are detrimental to this squad. This is a big ass statement. I have always thought a lot of the criticism leveled at Suso over the years has been unfair. He’s a limited attacker, yes, but more often than not he was the only player, period, that could create chances for himself or others. It was frustrating and at times painful to watch especially when it was ineffective, but much like Menez during the bad ol’ days, it was the safest and most dependable way to get on the score-sheet. It wasn’t pretty but he was a good right winger.

However, this man absolutely can not play in this setup. Not in theory, nor in practice. What I’ve witnessed over two games is a player that generally receives the ball right of center, is stifled, is forced to then play negatively, opting then to drift towards his natural position to create chances, which unfortunately for him, does not exist in this formation. In turn, Kessie advances higher up the pitch, often into the 18, which is to the benefit of no one but the opposition. The extra midfield defender can cheat towards the flank because there is no one to make runs in the half spaces without leaving us extremely prone a counter at a heavy disadvantage. Inter worked this to perfection, overloading the midfield, and pushing possession wide neutralizing Suso and Conti. Part of the problem is structural, but the other problem is he is far too diminutive, slow, and indirect to play that close to the strikers. It will not work. He is a right winger. It is the only position he is capable of playing. 

And Hakan? I had a brief Twitter convo with someone about what coach after coach sees as indispensable about Hakan and we agreed that he’s not error prone. And that’s great. But he’s poor to below average at everything else, which absolutely murders our buildup play. It is a bit ironic, because Giampaolo’s Sampdoria was far from conservative and often sacrificed organization for dynamism. And you don’t need safety right now, Giampaolo. You need quality. Show some courage and start either Jack or Paqueta.

I said this in the game thread, but if both are still starting against Torino it shows that the skipper probably doesn’t trust his system. 

FLICK 3: Piatek might --might-- not be as good as we thought. Full disclosure: I have always been a Piatek-skeptic so this could be bias, but I just don’t see it Leoni. I blinked, so I missed his form at Genoa. While the white hot start was exciting, the very quick dissipation in form kinda concerned me but I thought ‘Hey, it’s cool, we got my baby-faced cherub lovebug angel Patrick Cutrone just in case’. Then I got my heart broken. 

I’ll fully admit that the lack of service has continued into this year and is a definite factor. However, look at Serie A’s scoring leaders. Is Alfredo Donnarumma getting significantly better balls? How about the luxury of chances Francesco Caputo or Marco Mancosu are enjoying? Yes, this is a little unfair four games into the season, but he has had chances, and he hasn’t converted. His first touch is downright bad, and he does not link up well with teammates, so when you do the chances my man, you gotta bury them to compensate. The headed chance and the dime played in by Paq seconds after he was subbed on need more care.

The new system and the fuddled formation isn’t helping, but I gotta see a little more.

FLICK 4: On a positive note, our center-backs are good. I realize I’ve thrown a lot of negativity and words at you today, so I’ll be brief. There are exactly three positions I do not worry about on this team (four-ish, when Calabria is on the pitch). Keeper, and right and left center-back. Musacchio has really matured into the Serie A style, muting Lukaku most of the match bar his headed effort that should have been closed down in the first place. AR is a bona fied captain and really the only player besides Don that I feel can lead. Our full-backs and mids did them absolutely no favors and they still put on a commendable effort. Bravo!

I’ll have a short blurb Wednesday and then we got Torino Thursday! Oh I can’t wait!

[365footballorg-blog]

Happy underdogs, no stars & a mean defence - lowdown on England's quarter-final opponents Sweden

Media playback is not supported on this device

England v Sweden Date: Saturday, 7 July (15:00 BST). Venue: Samara Arena, Samara. Coverage: Watch the game live on BBC One, the BBC Sport website and app. Listen live on 5 live, with live text commentary online.

Sweden stand between England and a place in the semi-finals of a World Cup for the first time since 1990.

Janne Andersson’s side arrived in Russia without a win in six games, no goal in 337 minutes and without national hero Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Yet Sweden, 24th in Fifa’s rankings – 12 places below England – find themselves two wins from a first final since 1958.

We take a look at the Scandinavians as they prepare to meet Gareth Southgate’s team in Samara on Saturday (15:00 BST) – Sweden’s first World Cup quarter-final since 1994.

Can England go one step further? Lawro’s World Cup quarter-final predictions[1]

How does England’s potential route to the World Cup final look?[2]

‘England’s best chance to reach World Cup semi-finals since 1990’[3]

How Sweden got to the quarter-finals

This is Sweden’s first World Cup since making it to the last 16 in Germany in 2006, a campaign which included a 90th-minute equaliser by Henrik Larsson in a 2-2 group draw with England.

They got to Russia the hard way.

Despite beating France, Sweden were runners-up to Les Bleus in their qualifying group although they did finish above the Netherlands.

They then beat four-time world champions Italy 1-0 over two legs[4] in the play-offs to book their place at the World Cup.

In Russia, Sweden were placed in Group F along with world champions Germany, Mexico and South Korea yet finished top with six points before overcoming Switzerland[5] 1-0 in the last 16.

Media playback is not supported on this device

No Zlatan but beware Sweden’s ice-Berg

There was talk Ibrahimovic – one of the most decorated and iconic players of the modern game – could come out of international retirement for this tournament.

“If I want I am there,” said the 36-year-old[6] – scorer of 62 goals in 116 games for his country – in March.

Ibrahimovic, who announced his retirement after Sweden were knocked out of Euro 2016, is not part of Andersson’s squad yet Sweden are progressing nicely without the former Manchester United striker.

In total, they have scored 33 goals in 16 games in qualifying and at this tournament. Goals have come from all areas of the team. In qualifying, defenders Mikael Lustig, Victor Lindelof and Andreas Granqvist scored seven of Sweden’s 27 goal between themselves.

Media playback is not supported on this device

Striker Marcus Berg was Sweden’s leading scorer in qualifying with eight goals in 11 matches, including four in one game against Luxembourg, but has yet to find the net in Russia despite starting all four games.

Indeed, Berg has had 13 shots without scoring, the most of any player to fail to score at this World Cup.

However the 31-year-old, who plays his club football in the United Arab Emirates for Al Ain, did manage to win a penalty in the 3-0 group win[7] over Mexico on 27 June.

‘England have shown why we can win this World Cup’[8]

England-Sweden quarter-final live on BBC[9]

Sweden’s Lustig to miss quarter-final[10]

Spot-kick kings

Sweden have netted six times in four games at this tournament. However, only half of those have been scored in open play by a player in a Swedish shirt.

An own goal helped seal their win against Mexico, while former Wigan Athletic player Granqvist is the first Swede to score two or more goals in a single World Cup tournament since Larsson in 2002 after netting two spot-kicks against South Korea and Mexico.

Sweden also scored a further four penalties in qualifying, with Granqvist getting three of them.

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Sweden revelling in their underdog status

Analysis from BBC Sport’s Paul Fletcher, who watched Sweden beat Switzerland in St Petersburg

It has not gone unnoticed that BBC Radio 5 live pundit Pat Nevin – a Scot, it should be noted – suggested the other day that 99 times out of 100 England should beat Sweden.

Indeed, in the Swedish camp near Krasnodar they are absolutely delighted with this kind of comment.

The players were discussing it the day after their win over the Swiss and see it as a sign that the message they love to spread is once again taking hold.

“Well, it is fun for England to have that sort of confidence,” said captain Granqvist. “Let’s just see how the game goes.”

France and Italy in World Cup qualification, Mexico and Switzerland here in Russia – all have under-estimated Sweden, all lost. Germany were minutes away from the same fate in their group game.

Sweden know that they lack star quality, they know that their strength is that they are a team in the true sense of the word; a group of individuals working towards a common goal.

Media playback is not supported on this device

The Swedish players think they can frustrate the English by playing in a defensive, kind of boring way. They want to slow the game down, draw its sting.

Southgate’s team showed that they could stay cool and focused against opponents who tried to spoil and aggravate in seeing off Colombia on Tuesday.

Now they must show that they have the intelligence to recognise the Swedish plan and the patience to overcome it.

‘Lack of pace and short of ideas’

Analysis by BBC Sport’s football expert Mark Lawrenson

Granqvist made more clearances than anyone else against Switzerland but he is their biggest voice as well as their stand-out defender.

Granqvist is the man who organises everything for them at the back, and he does a very good job. That organisation is their obvious strength – they were really compact against the Swiss and denied them any space between their defensive lines.

But despite Sweden’s impressive defensive record in Russia, I can see England causing them lots of problems in a way Switzerland could not do.

With the speed and mobility of England’s attacking players, including their full-backs, I think they can move Sweden around in midfield as well as defence.

<!–

If they make the pitch as big as possible, and get Kieran Trippier and Ashley Young bombing forward, then I am sure they will find some gaps.

I don’t see Sweden causing England many issues at the other end, though.

Pace is something that Sweden don’t have when they come forward and they seemed short of ideas – they only had a handful of opportunities against Switzerland and had a little bit of good fortune with the deflected goal they scored.

I know they have momentum but, to be brutally honest, they don’t really look like scoring goals.

Head-to-head

England and Sweden have met each other 24 times, and things are very close with eight English wins, nine draws and seven Swedish successes.

However, England won six of the first nine matches, and have only won two of the most recent 15 games – with both coming in the 2011-12 season.

England won 1-0 in a Wembley friendly[11] in November 2011 with Gareth Barry scoring the only goal, before England beat Sweden 3-2[12] in a thrilling Euro 2012 group game.

Andy Carroll scored a wonderful header to put Roy Hodgson’s side ahead, Sweden scored twice to take a 2-1 lead, before goals from Theo Walcott and Danny Welbeck gave England the three points.

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England and Sweden have twice met in the group stages of World Cup finals, drawing 1-1 in their first match of the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan and then drawing 2-2 in Germany four years later.[13][14]

The only other time England and Sweden have met during a major tournament came back at the 1992 European Championships, which were staged in Sweden.

Again it was a group match, with the winners going into the semi-finals. David Platt put Graham Taylor’s England ahead early on, Jan Eriksson equalised before Tomas Brolin linked up with Martin Dahlin to score a late winner and seal a 2-1 victory to send the hosts through and knock England out.

That game was also Gary Lineker’s last for England. He needed one goal to equal the then-record of most England goals, which was held by Sir Bobby Charlton on 49 goals, but with the score at 1-1, Lineker was taken off after 62 minutes and replaced by Alan Smith.

The last meeting between the two nations was an international friendly in November 2012, which included an England debut for 17-year-old Raheem Sterling. However, the game saw Ibrahimovic produce a stunning individual performance as he scored four times in a 4-2 Sweden win,[15] including a spectacular 30-yard bicycle kick.

‘England is England, now they think they’ll win the World Cup’ – Eriksson

Former England manager Sven Goran Eriksson expects his home country to win the match. He told Swedish newspaper Expressen:[16] “England will struggle to score goals against Sweden. I think it will be a Swedish victory.”

In a later interview with Aftonbladet, Eriksson said he thought the tie would at least go to extra time. “You can’t claim that either of the two teams line-ups have lots of goal chances in open play,” said the Swede, who was in charge of England from 2001 to 2006.

“There will be few goals and some detail that determines the outcome of the game. I’ll say draw after 90 minutes and then we’ll see how many people have cramps in each team.”

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Despite the England players being dubbed ‘The Golden Generation’ when Eriksson was in charge, England went out in the quarter-finals of both the 2002 and 2006 World Cups.

“England is England, now they think they’ll win the World Cup again,” added Eriksson. “Frankly, they have beaten Tunisia and Panama. It takes a little more to win the World Cup. They will not get so many opportunities against Sweden.”

Former Sweden midfielder Hakan Mild thought England will underestimate the Scandinavians. “England is easy to score against”, Mild said in Goteborgs-Posten.[17] “They think they are so damn good. They are not.

“You hardly get terrified when you see the team. They are spoilt youths who earn millions. They don’t have the total desperation required.”

Kennet Andersson, who helped Sweden finish third in the 1994 World Cup, thought Sweden’s better defence would be crucial. “Sweden has renewed their defensive game in such a way that the opponents can’t unpick it,” he told SVT.[18]

“I think there are many teams who don’t want to meet Sweden, because they can’t make their game work against us. I don’t understand how England will be able to score any goals against Sweden.”

How they compare

Sweden goalkeeper Robin Olsen has kept three clean sheets at the 2018 World Cup, while England have conceded one goal in each of their four games.

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However, England have more goals, more shots and corners than the Scandinavians.

Interestingly, England’s ball possession at this World Cup is 53% compared to Sweden’s 38% while the Three Lions have attempted 2,140 passes to their opponents’ 1,113.

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England have also had 55 goal opportunities and covered 455.23 kilometres – that’s 282 miles. Sweden have not covered as much ground. They’ve clocked up 419 kilometres or 260 miles.

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Getting shirty – what the media is saying

Swedish paper Svenska Dagblade (SvD), reports that Sweden fans are finding it difficult to find national replica football shirts at home thanks to the team’s World Cup success.

“Things have gone a bit too well for Sweden”, a spokesman for Adidas told SvD. [19]

“We have been told here at customer service to tell the customers that there is no point going to the shops. The shirts are almost completely gone,” a worker at Adidas’ customer services was quoted saying.

References

^ Can England go one step further? Lawro’s World Cup quarter-final predictions (www.bbc.co.uk)

^ How does England’s potential route to the World Cup final look? (www.bbc.co.uk)

^ ‘England’s best chance to reach World Cup semi-finals since 1990’ (www.bbc.co.uk)

^ 1-0 over two legs (www.bbc.co.uk)

^ overcoming Switzerland (www.bbc.co.uk)

^ said the 36-year-old (www.bbc.co.uk)

^ 3-0 group win (www.bbc.co.uk)

^ ‘England have shown why we can win this World Cup’ (www.bbc.co.uk)

^ England-Sweden quarter-final live on BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)

^ Sweden’s Lustig to miss quarter-final (www.bbc.co.uk)

^ 1-0 in a Wembley friendly (www.bbc.co.uk)

^ England beat Sweden 3-2 (www.bbc.co.uk)

^ first match of the 2002 World Cup (news.bbc.co.uk)

^ 2-2 in Germany four years later. (news.bbc.co.uk)

^ 4-2 Sweden win, (www.bbc.co.uk)

^ Swedish newspaper Expressen: (www.expressen.se)

^ Goteborgs-Posten. (www.gp.se)

^ he told SVT. (www.svt.se)

^ SvD. (www.svd.se)

BBC Sport – Football

Happy underdogs, no stars & a mean defence – lowdown on England's quarter-final opponents Sweden was originally published on 365 Football

[fifaworldcupth1-blog]

England's players are spoilt children and do not intimidate Sweden - Hakan Mild-fifaworldcupthisyear.tk

England’s players are spoilt children and do not intimidate Sweden – Hakan Mild-fifaworldcupthisyear.tk

England have gotten through to the quarterfinals, but Steve McManaman and the FC boys think England need to improve to live up to their new expectations. ESPN FC’s Mark Ogden explains what England’s penalty shootout victory against Colombia means for both the team and the nation. ESPN’s Charlie Gibson queries fans about England’s World Cup chances while colleague…

[prediksijitubola-blog]

Legenda Swedia: Pemain Inggris Anak Manja yang Dibayar Mahal

Legenda Swedia: Pemain Inggris Anak Manja yang Dibayar Mahal

INDONESIAPREDIKSI.com – Perang urat syaraf muncul menjelang babak perempatfinal Piala Dunia 2018 antara Inggris melawan Swedia di Samara Arena, Samara, Sabtu (7/7/2018).. Legenda The Blågult, Hakan Mild, menganggap pemain Three Lions cuma sekumpulan anak manja yang dibayar mahal oleh klubnya.

Menengok kualitas kedua tim, Inggris lebih diunggulkan karena banyaknya pemain ternama di dalam skuatnya.…

[robertkstone]

2019 Volvo S60 Unveiled at New Plant in South Carolina

With the inauguration of its new plant in South Carolina, Volvo now makes vehicles in the U.S., starting with the new S60 premium midsize sedan. The automaker plans to add production of the next-generation XC90 large crossover in 2021.

Volvo has invested $1.1 billion in the U.S. and the plant will be the sole global source of the S60—the first car Volvo has ever made in the U.S. Half the sedans built in the U.S. will be exported.

The S60 begins production this fall with a lineup that includes the front-drive T5 with a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine good for 250 hp. The all-wheel-drive T6 offers a turbo- and supercharged 2.0-liter. There will be two plug-in hybrids, but the U.S. only gets the more powerful T8 Twin Engine AWD plug-in where the gas engine is both turbo- and supercharged for a combined 400 horsepower. We do not get the T6 Twin Engine AWD plug-in hybrid that gets a combined 340 hp. A mild hybrid with a 48-volt system is expected next year.

There will not be a diesel engine available with the S60 for any market in keeping with Volvo’s commitment to have all vehicles electrified starting in 2019 with a goal of 1 million pure EVs or 25 percent of sales by 2025.

Like its midsize counterparts, the V60 and XC60, the S60 rides on the Scalable Product Architecture (SPA) and has many of the same features. That includes City Safety with Autobrake that brakes to avoid an oncoming collision and recognizes pedestrians, cyclists, and large animals. Optional Pilot Assist will steer, brake, and accelerate up to about 80 mph and has been upgraded to provide better cornering. Other safety systems include Run-off Road Mitigation, Oncoming Lane Mitigation, and other steering assistance systems as well as optional Cross Traffic Alert with Autobrake.

The S60 gets Volvo’s Sensus Connect infotainment system that can be seen across all its new cars and is compatible with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and 4G.  The large touchscreen has many menus with vehicle functions and connectivity.

  For those who want to add more performance to their T8 plug-in, the Polestar electric performance division is offering Polestar Engineered which upgrades the  wheels, brakes, suspension, and engine control unit, boosting combined horsepower to 415. Instead of 18-inch wheels, the Polestar boasts 19-inch wheels as well as Brembo brakes and Ohlins shock absorbers.

The S60 can be obtained through the Care by Volvo subscription service where there is no down payment, just a flat fee of $775 a month for 24 months, for those who don’t want to buy or lease. Care by Volvo was launched in November and is also available for the XC40 and V60.

T5 models start between $36,795 and $43,895, and T6 models will run from $41,295. The T8, only offered in R-Design and Inscription trims, will start between $55,395 and $56,395. Orders begin today for all S60 models other than the Polestar Engineered version, which will be available for order on June 28. Pricing for that model has not yet been announced, but Volvo says it will sell in limited quantities.

The new Volvo plant is located about 40 miles west of Charleston. The site decision was made back in 2014 in recognition of the importance of the North American market, and the automaker broke ground in 2015. During construction it was known as “Volvo Project Thor.” The idea of building in Mexico was briefly considered and quickly discarded by CEO Hakan Samuelsson.

Initially it will employ 2,000 workers—1,500 will be in place by the end of the year—who will make 60,000 S60s a year, half of them for export. The plant’s capacity is 150,000 vehicles a year with ample land and 2.3 million square feet of buildings. Volvo expects another 2,000 workers to join when it adds the XC90. The site includes the plant, test track, training center, and an office building for about 300 people who work in R&D, purchasing, quality, and sales. Stamping comes from supplier Gestamp.

The plant, which was just inaugurated, has begun making preproduction S60s with Job 1 of saleable sedans coming this fall. The current S60 is made in China and Ghent, Belgium. Production is being phased out of Ghent, but China will continue to make long-wheelbase versions of the S60 for that market.

South Carolina is also home to BMW in Spartanburg and the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van plant.

In 2010 China’s Zhejiang Geely, owned by billionaire Li Shufu, bought Volvo from Ford for $1.5 billion and the automaker has flourished under the new ownership.

[fieldsvolvonorthfield]

It's Electric! Volvo Vehicles in 2019

 The trend for electric vehicles has been gaining momentum for quite a while, but the Volvo brand is kicking it up a notch. From 2019 and beyond all the Volvo brand vehicles will have an electric motor. We will leave behind the internal combustion engine (ICE) and only see electric at the core of our business. Keep reading for additional information. 

For years the Volvo brand has been committed to minimizing the environmental impact its vehicles have on the earth. Like the brands announcement that it will reduce carbon emissions and create a climate neutral manufacturing environment, this is just another part of the promise. The all-electric models will hit dealerships between 2019 and 2021. There will be five models two of which will be high performance electrified vehicles. The vehicles will include petrol plug-in, diesel plug-in hybrid and mild hybrid 48 volt options.

"This is about the customer," said Hakan Samuelsson, president and chief executive. "People increasingly demand electrified cars and we want to respond to our customers' current and future needs. You can now pick and choose whichever electrified Volvo you wish. This announcement marks the end of the solely combustion engine-powered car. Volvo Cars has stated that it plans to have sold a total of 1m electrified cars by 2025. When we said it we meant it. This is how we are going to do it."

We can't wait to see all the electric Volvo cars in Chicagoland that the future is made of. In the meantime swing by our Northfield, IL area to check out the new and pre-owned Volvo vehicles we have in stock. We look forward to seeing you at Fields Volvo Northfield very soon!

via Fields Volvo Cars Northfield http://ift.tt/2uNBAl5

[boldlyelectric]

News: Volvo Cars Joins the Electric Parade

News: Volvo Cars Joins the Electric Parade

But Don’t Expect to Drive a Volvo EV Soon

Volvo Cars this weekput a date on it. All of its vehicles beginning in 2019 will have some portion of electrification (such as a mild hybrid system), a move it said was “about the customer…we want to respond to our customers’ current and future needs.” Hakan Samuelsson, president and chief executive of Volvo Cars specified that its whole range of cars…

[bluemoon21-blog]

Volvo goes electric, ditches cars powered solely by petrol [gas]

Volvo plans to build only electric and hybrid vehicles starting in 2019, making it the first major automaker to abandon cars and SUVs powered solely by the internal combustion engine.

CEO Hakan Samuelsson said the move was dictated by customer demand. It means that in two years, all new Volvo vehicles will have some form of electric propulsion.

The rest of the auto industry is likely to make similar moves in a few years, said Sam Abuelsamid, senior analyst for Navigant Research, with luxury automakers leading the way.

“I think we’ll probably see most of the premium brands do the same thing in roughly the same time frame,” he said. “More high-volume mainstream brands will be a little slower.”

In order to meet government fuel economy requirements worldwide, automakers are developing more hybrid systems that use both gas engines and electric motors. Many are 48-volt “mild hybrids” that assist a gas engine to move a car to make it more efficient, improving gas mileage by 10 or 15 percent, Abuelsamid said.

Such systems generate enough electricity to allow automakers to move functions such as air conditioners and water and oil pumps to electric power, getting rid of mechanical belts that are a drag on the engine. Those systems can run only when needed, and that can save another 2 or 3 percent on fuel consumption — so a vehicle that gets 20 mpg could get about another four miles per gallon he said.

Source: Volvo goes electric, ditches cars powered solely by gas – ABC News

from Volvo goes electric, ditches cars powered solely by petrol [gas]