England set for quarter-final showdown with Sweden
All eyes on key clash as Eriksson names provisional squad
England will face Sweden in the quarter-finals of the 2006 World Cup, following a tense 2-1 victory over Ecuador in the last 16. Sven-Göran Eriksson has named a provisional 23-man squad with a five-man standby list for the clash, with the likes of David Beckham, Wayne Rooney and Steven Gerrard all included.
The match is set to be a close encounter, with both teams having impressed so far in the tournament. England have won three of their four matches, while Sweden have won two and drawn one. The only time the two teams have met on the pitch in a major tournament was at Euro 2004, when Zlatan Ibrahimović netted at the death to secure a 2-2 draw for the Swedes.
Eriksson will be hoping to lead England to their first semi-final since 1990, but he knows that Sweden will be a tough opponent. The Swedish side lost out in the semi-final of the 1994 World Cup to Brazil on penalties, and have a strong squad which includes experienced players such as Henrik Larsson and Fredrik Ljungberg.
The quarter-final match will take place on Saturday 2 July at 3pm UK time. It is sure to be a tense and exciting affair, with both teams hoping to book their place in the semi-finals.
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