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"Banm ticket mwen, banm passport mwen, Thank you..." (King Posse)

06/12/2002. Argentina became the second super-favourite to bow out of the World Cup as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Sweden on Wednesday afternoon.

Anders Svenssen put the Swedes ahead with a fine second-half free-kick and although Hernan Crespo equalised late on, it wasn't enough to stop Marcelo Bielsa's men tumbling out.

The first real opportunity of the match fell to Henrik Larsson who fired his free-kick into the wall.

After Gabriel Batistuta had shot over the bar, Sweden keeper Magnus Hedman pulled off a fine save from a Juan Pablo Sorin header.

After 15 minutes the same man connected with another cross but this time he couldn't keep his effort on target. Chances, though, were few and far between until Claudio Lopez went close on a hat-trick of occasions before the break. Firstly he volleyed well wide of the far post and then he should have done better than find the side netting from an Ariel Ortega cross. The Lazio forward missed his third chance of the half just before the break when he shot inches wide of Hedman's right post.

The pattern of the game continued in the second-half with Argentina pressing and Sweden sitting back with nine men behind the ball.

Batistuta drove wide early on before Javer Zanetti's free-kick almost resulted in Sorin putting his side ahead. Unfortunately for Marcelo Bielsa's men, the Lazio-bound wing-back could not get enough on his header.

On 59 minutes the Swedes took a shock lead when after Matias Almeyda had committed an offence on the edge of the box, Anders Svensson curled a fine free-kick over the wall and past Pablo Cavellero.

Bielsa introduced Juan Veron and Kily Gonzalez in the 63rd minute before goalscorer Svensson was replaced by Mattias Jonson shortly after.

With Argentina pressing forward they were always going to be susceptible to breaks and Sweden almost doubled their lead on 75 minutes with an unfortunate own-goal from Mauricio Pochettino. The centre-back tried to clear a cross from substitute Anderson but only suceeded in firing the ball goalwards. Cavellero, though, was on hand to clear the ball.

Ten minutes from time Andreas Jakobsson produced an excellent block to keep out Pablo Aimar's shot, before Zanetti forced Hedman into a fine save down to his right.

Andersson almost made sure of victory when his shot was tipped onto the bar by Cavellero but four minutes later the Argentines were level. Ortega was brought down by Jonsson and although the playmaker's penalty was saved by Hedman, Hernan Crespo was on hand to fire home the rebound.

The second goal wasn't forthcoming, though, and Argentina go out.

Source (soccer age)