Sweden 2-2 England

Kristianstad
30 March 2004

Michael Chopra of Newcastle scored with almost his first touch for England Under-21s as they earned a well-deserved 2-2 draw against Sweden in Kristiantad.

Striker Chopra, promoted from the Under-20 side that played in the World Youth Championship in Dubai last October, scored a dramatic equaliser for David Platt's young side when he forced the ball home in the final minute of stoppage time.

England had earlier allowed an early lead to slip by conceding two goals. And although Platt was pleased to have got a draw against the highly-rated Swedes, the coach was disappointed not to have won.

"We don’t get many friendlies so we had to treat this like a qualifying game, and so we would have to be pleased with a point away from home," he said

"But there is a bit of disappontment in the dressing room that we should have got all three, and there is the knowledge that if you give away silly goals you could end up with nothing."

The friendly match started brightly for England when Dean Ashton of Crewe opened the scoring in the 15th minute.

The striker scored his second goal in two games when he headed home from close range after Newcastle’s Steven Taylor had headed back a corner from David Bentley.

The Arsenal midfielder was at the heart of England’s best moves and always dangerous from set-pieces, going close with a long-range shot and also supplying chances that Ashton and Michael Dawson headed over the bar.

But Sweden equalised in the 57th minute after a free-kick from Tobias Hysen went through a crowded penalty area and Per Nilsson rose highest to send a glancing header past goakeeper Scott Carson and into the net.

Carson was replaced by Lee Grant in the 69th minute, but the Derby keeper’s first action was to pick the ball out of the net moments later after hesitation by fellow substitute Matthew Kilgallon of Leeds let in Johan Andersson for the simple job of hooking the ball home.

England went looking for an equaliser, and Leeds teenager James Milner, also making his debut at Under-21 level, went close with a fierce free-kick ten minutes from time.

And although Darren Ambrose of Newcastle scooped a simple chance over the bar from close range in the final minutes, his team-mate Chopra rescued England by forcing the ball over the line following a deep free-kick in stoppage time.

It was his first meaningful touch at Under-21 level, and one that he will never forget.

Team Details

Sweden U21: Alvbage, Antonsson, A Johansson (M Andersson, 81), Ucar, P Nilsson, Hysen, Holmen, L Nilsson (Rosenberg, 46), Pinones-Arce (J Andersson, 46), J Jonsson (A Johansson, 81), Stefanidis (Djuric, 75)

Goals: Nilsson 58, Andersson 70

England U21: Carson (Grant, 69), Hoyte, Ridgewell, Reo-Coker (Jones, 79), Dawson, Taylor (Kilgallon, 63), Bentley (Chopra, 79), Tonge (Ambrose, 63), Cole (Bent, 69), Ashton (Stead, 63), Downing (Milner, 79)

Goals: Ashton 14, Chopra 90

Referee: Mikko Vuorela (Finland)