The head coach of team Sweden, Mikael Hill, stated in his interview (read it here) that their goal is to be the number one in the world again, starting with The World Games. Team Sweden has a well-balanced roster for the tournament and Hill says that for now he sees no weaknesses.
How did you decide on this roster?
It was more or less like putting a big puzzle together. We have a great core of players in Sweden who can give you many opportunities in how you want to build your team and play the game.
I´ve tried to look at the tournament from different angles to find out what will be the key for being successful in The World Games. One of the main things has been to find players who have experience from playing these kind of games within a short space of time, games with high stakes like in the national play-offs or in the World Championships. Another important key is stamina. We need to have a group who can play four intense games in three days and recover fast in order to be sharp in the next game.
What kind of a team do you have?
In my opinion our group has a lot of skill, speed, experience and most of all character. We have offensive threats on every position and everyone can defend well so I think we have a well-balanced group of players when it comes to how to play the game.
It´s a team with great experience from international fixtures with a lot of players who have won gold medals both at the World Championship and at the Swedish Championship.
If you would need to use only three words to describe the team, what would they be?
Speed, intensity and character.
What are your team’s strengths and weaknesses?
I think we´ve got a well-balanced team and as I mentioned before we have players that can hurt our opponents from every position and have experience, if necessary, to change the game plan during the game without hesitation. At the moment, I can´t see any weaknesses.
Which three players people should watch and why?
Alexander Galante-Carlström: Was elected as the best player in the world 2016. At this point of his career he´s a complete player who can make a difference in both ends of the rink. As a sniper, he´s second to none and can score from, more or less, every angle in the offensive zone. He has a unique ability to get his shot through any type of traffic and is a serious threat.
Kim Nilsson: Probably one of the best offensive players who has ever played the sport. Kim combines everything you can ask for from a floorball player and turns it into world class package. Pace, technique and strength. Kim has it all. He´s both a sniper and a playmaker and at the same time a real strong team player. Has been a leading player in the Swedish national team for the last seven or eight years and still has the hunger to stay on top.
Emil Johansson: He is without a doubt Sweden’s next super star and a real good contender for the title as the world number 1 for many years to come. Emil can play as a defender, centre or as a winger and do it at the highest level. When he brings his A-game there is no one out there who can stop him when he comes flying as an extra attacker on the right side of the rink.
