Egypt vs. Sweden: Post-match analysis

CAIRO (GoPharaohs.com) - The purpose of friendly internationals is more for experimenting with lineups and tactics than it is about the scoreline. The final result does however offer an indication of how successful that experiment was, which bodes well for Egypt manager Hassan Shehatta and his side’s 2-0 win over Sweden on Wednesday.

Shehatta was forced to experiment without the services of skillful playmaker Mohammed Abou Treika, which offered the technical staff a good opportunity to practice with an alternate strategy in real match conditions. This would be useful in case the Pharaohs are without Abou Treika for any reason in a future official match.

Shehatta fielded three strikers to start, reminiscent of the forumla he used in the 2006 African Cup of Nations quaterfinal against Congo DR, when Egypt was also without Abou Treika.

GoPharaohs.com offers its collective and individual ratings. (Excellent - Good - Fair - Below Average - Poor)

Team ratings

STRATEGY: Good. There were many ways management could have gone with Abou Treika out. A three-striker system is one of the more unorthodox ones, but it’s hard to argue with the result. Taking both Mido and Zaky out at the same time virtually eliminated Egypt’s aerial threat in attack however and was an unsettling indication that Shehatta wanted to use the second half to defend the team’s narrow 1-0 lead.

DEFENSE: Good. Though sloppy at times, the defense was able to clear most danger when all was said and done, leaving the goalkeeper without much to do.

MIDFIELD: Fair. Passing lacked cohesion and fluidity. Usually Egypt’s strongsuit, the midfield had spells of good play but probably suffered from a lack of playing time together.

STRIKERS: Good. Just one poor miss the entire match, when Meteb blasted a rebounded shot just wide. Overall the strikers were never too far off target, and forced some saves from goalkeepers Andreas Isaksson and Rami Shaaban.

OVERALL: Good. The team still needs work in several areas, though effort was solid on Wednesday. If this formation becomes a staple for Shehatta’s team, they’ll require considerable practice getting all the midfielders on the same page. There’s some talent and experience in defense, but communication clearly needs to improve.

Player ratings

Essam EL-HADARY: Good. Didn’t have a lot to worry about as mentioned. He seemed to be hobbling much of the match and has been doing so often in matches as of late. Would have been a good opportunity to see what his backups could do.

Ahmed FATHY: Good. Misplayed a few balls in attack in the first half, but looked lively and confident throughout. Played hard the entire match and was rewarded with a marvelous goal near the end which definitely raised his overall match rating for us.

Wael GOMAA: Good. Anchored the defense as he always does and was solid overall.

Hany SAEED: Excellent. When the Egyptian defense grew increasingly sloppy later in the second half, it was Hany Saeed’s effort and timing that stood between Sweden and an equalizer. His return to the national fold couldn’t have gone any better.

Sayed MOAWWAD: Fair. Did his job overall, but nothing more.

Ahmed HASSAN: Good. The constant heart-and-soul of the Egyptian lineup was a bit more subdued today, but played an important role setting up the first goal before being substituted in the second half.

Hosny ABD RABBO: Fair. A bit rusty, but did his job and played predominantley error-free.

Mohammed SHAWQY: Below Average. Didn’t appear to have his head in the game as concentration was an issue. He also seemed to go to the ground too easily upon losing possession.

Emad METEB: Fair. Didn’t have too many chances, though his first half miss was a sitter. He forced a tremendous save from Rami Shaaban off of a header in the second half. Meteb still hasn’t found his old form.

Amr ZAKY: Good. Made his lone opportunity count. Tried to dribble a bit too much and wound up taking the ball out of bounds a time or two. Zaky continues to play a valuable role with the national team.

MIDO: Below Average. The effort and enthusiasim were there, but the quality was lacking. In fairness, Mido seemed to be playing out of position for most of the match. Shehatta had the Tottenham striker play along the left wing, but he occasionally roamed into midfield behind Zaki and Meteb to help out in the air.

Substitutes: None of Egypt’s replacements had much time to make an impression. The notable play among Egypt’s subs came from striker Mohammed Zidan, who blasted a volley towards goal that sailed just wide.