Scott Musgrave


With Sweden holding the most recent Under-21 European Championships, there was some worry that the home team was only there to make up the numbers, but with a strong performance, being unlucky to be knocked out by England on penalties in the semi-final, the future looks particularly bright. Nowhere is this more so than in the attacking third of the pitch, with Dutch Eredivisie hit-men Marcus Berg (FC Groningen) and Ola Toivonen (PSV Eindhoven, pictured).

Berg took the tournament by storm picking up seven goals and ending up four clear of countryman Toivonen in the final goalscoring standings. Toivonen himself made a telling contribution with several assists and three goals including a glorious free kick in the six-goal thriller against England.

Sweden are going through a transitional period at senior level, with many top performers of the past ageing or retiring. The prospect of these successful youngsters coming through the ranks is welcome news indeed to Swedish fans.

Marcus Berg, born in Torsby, started his senior career with Swedish giants IFK Göteborg. After starring at junior level, he started off as an 18 year-old in the Allsvensken, making an instant impact scoring eight times in 27 appearances in his debut season. It wasn’t though until his third and final season with the southern club that he proved himself worthy of a transfer to ever improving Eredivisie club FC Groningen.

Berg had by that time made himself a name in his homeland with a great striking record and the parting gift of a goal against Kalmar FF in his final appearance for the club in a 5-0 drubbing,  enjoyed immensely by the Göteborg faithful, who obviously recognised the talent of the tall forward. To his credit,  Göteborg went on to win the league that season with Berg in absentia but with a contribution well acknowledged.

After the completion of a reported £2.5M move to Groningen, much was expected of the young forward with a relatively large fee being paid out for such a small club. Berg came in to replace the outgoing Luis Suarez, who has since made a name for himself at Ajax, and whilst the shoes were big to fill, the two-footed striker found his home at the Euroborg Stadium, settling in with 18 Eredivisie goals in his first term, propelling Groningen to the new heights of 7th place and a shot at Europe in the play-off series. Although not being the top scorer in the Eredivisie that season, Berg earned his stripes as one of the premier strikers in the league. In the following 2008/09 season, although not being as prolific due to injury, 13 goals in 15 matches yet again proved the striker’s nose for goal.

It was during Berg’s first year at the Dutch club that he earned his first cap for Sweden, throwing himself in the mix with the coveted strikers like Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Markus Rosenberg and Henrik Larsson.

His first goal for the national team came against minnows Malta in a 4-0 home win in Ullevi. Berg has, since his first call-up, become a regular in the Swedish camp and been largely touted as the future of the attack with Larsson on the way to retirement, Ibrahimovic largely ineffective, and Rosenberg often injured.

Most recently starring in the 2009 Under-21 European Championship, much attention has been turned to the 22 year-old striker, with speculation linking him with a summer transfer to Ajax, who are still looking for a suitable replacement for talismanic striker Klass-Jan Huntelaar.

Similarly, countryman Ola Toivonen earned a transfer to PSV Eindhoven in the winter break of the 2008/09 season, as the failing striking stocks of De Boeren became more and more exposed after seemingly becoming impotent after the loss of Jefferson Farfan to Schalke the previous summer.

Born in Degerfors, the now 23 year-old Toivonen enjoyed a modest career with hometown club Degerfors IF, where in his first season at senior level he played a pivotal role in saving the team from relegation to Sweden’s second tier, the Superettan. He was then bought by the Allsvenskan team, possibly most famous for being former Swedish international Markus Allback’s club, Örgryte IS. The season ended up being miserable for the team with relegation to the Superettan after finishing last in Sweden’s premier division.

Toivonen’s only season at Örgryte was not to be scoffed at, as he showed maturity and skill in midfield which earned a transfer to current strugglers, but past champions, Malmö FF. The young Swede became Malmö’s second most expensive player after Brazilian international Alfonso Alves. Obviously the youngster had impressed the Malmö staff enough earn such a move, but doubts were raised when the club only enjoyed a rather mediocre season finishing 9th, and Toivonen himself only managed three goals.

The 2008 season proved a breakthrough one though, in which he scored 14 goals and provided seven assists in 27 appearances. This kind of form brought much attention to the rising star, with reported interest from the English Premier League and the Eredivisie, particularly PSV Eindhoven.

The Dutch giants ended up getting their man for around €4.5M, and Toivonen made an instant impression on PSV fans and staff alike, scoring a goal every other game and providing a few assists in the process. He scored an eye catching six goals in 14 appearances in his first six months. The Degerfors born Swede should be able to fill the boots of Farfan, Kone, and maybe even scale heights reached by a certain Mateja Kezman some years ago for the recently deposed champions.

Toivonen didn’t take as long as his compatriot, Berg, to make the grade at international level as he earned his first cap for the Swedes in 2007, whilst playing for  Malmö in the Allsvenskan. However, he has not gone on to make as much of an impact as his countryman, only featuring in one other game since making his debut. Swedish fans can dare to dream though, as Toivonen and Berg seemed to gel together quite well and form a formidable partnership at U-21 level, scoring all but one of Sweden’s goals in the championships.

It would not be at all unreasonable to think, that with Toivonen and Berg leading the way, Sweden could one day reach again the lofty heights of their 1994 World Cup third place. Of course this is all baseless speculation, but if the recent championships are anything to go by, there could be a change in the fortunes of the Swedish national team.

Though many teams have failed to convert youth success to senior level results, it might be that in Sweden’s case a perennial European contender could be born. The future of Sweden is well and truly one of great interest for the entire footballing community.

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