Team Sweden head coach BD Kennedy has his team in final preparations as they get ready to face Team Finland in Vantaa outside Helsinki this Saturday, August 5 in the semifinals of the 2023/24 International Federation of American Football European Championship tournament.
The two teams met two years ago in the 2021 IFAF European Championship semifinal and Sweden came away with a 22-14 victory after falling behind 14-0 in the first quarter. Sweden then fell to Italy in the final.
Kennedy has selected a squad of 45 players for the camp that precedes the semifinal matchup and will whittle it down to 40 before the team travels to Finland.
The winner of this game will then face either the defending champions, Team Italy, or Austria in the European Championship final.
In the backfield, Sweden will be looking to the regular season rushing leader in the Swedish Superserien, Kasper Wedberg (Örebro Black Knights) while behind center are a pair of young talents, Viktor Wessberg and Ture Nilsson. The receiving corps is led by Anton Blomgren (Stockholm Mean Machines) and Edvin Almeida (Tyresö Royal Crowns), the two top receivers in the Swedish league this season. Almeida is no stranger to the Finnish coaches as he burned the Team Finland secondary for 120 yards and a touchdown in the 2021 semifinal. Defensively, Sweden’s anchor will likely be all star linebacker Mattias Ericksson (Carlstad Crusaders) who led the Superserien in tackles by a wide margin.
Kennedy is pleased with the look of his squad:
“We are extremely excited to play Finland in the European Championship semi-finals. Anytime Sweden meets Finland it is a big game and adding the tournament factor to the fire will only bring out the best effort from both sides. The staff has done a lot of work since our last camp in Karlstad. We have evaluated players throughout the season and come up with our roster. There have been digital preparations throughout the month of July and we are ready to come together and get on the field to prepare.
“One advantage that Finland has in this match up, is that they are in the middle of their season and the Finns will be in football condition. Our job will be to make sure we are up to game speed and ready for full contact on Saturday. I enjoy the fact that we have a lot at stake in this road game and expect nothing more than a hard fought, well played football game from both teams.”
Team Sweden 45 man roster
| QB | Viktor | Wessberg |
| QB | Ture | Nilsson |
| RB | Oliver | Lundberg |
| RB | Kasper | Wedberg |
| RB | Alexander | Kennedy Chaanhing |
| WR | Edvin | Almeida Taborda |
| WR | Anton | Jallai |
| WR | Anton | Blomgren |
| WR | Anton | Källholm |
| WR | Elliot | Reer |
| WR | Axel | Hagelberg Stridh |
| WR/K | Robin | Gavelin-Miranda |
| WR/K | Albin | Forsman |
| OL | Anton | Hyvönen |
| OL | Dennis | Gogaj Jernqvist |
| OL | Robin | Svallin |
| OL | Marco | Gudding |
| OL | Oskar | Backe Lindberg |
| OL | Rasmus | Hagberg |
| OL | Love | Larsson |
| OL | Arvid | Sillberg |
| OL | Oscar | Strömstedt |
| DL | Alexander | Lilja |
| DL | Jonathan | Johansson |
| DL | Malcolm | Engström |
| DL | Anton | Norling |
| DL | Will | Runesson |
| DL | Sebastian | Diakiti |
| DL | Jatta | Njie |
| LB | Mattias | Eriksson |
| LB | Alex | Gudding |
| LB | Victor | Frank |
| LB | Edvin | Jönsson |
| LB | Caesar | Winsnes |
| LB | Karl | Berg |
| LB | Rikard | Carlsson |
| LB | Adam | Westin |
| DB | Waraphon Ben | Prasopsin |
| DB | Ekemina | Baleka |
| DB | Noah | Allsten |
| DB | Cewin | Eriksson |
| DB | Elias | Rosenkvist |
| DB | Klas | Mazetti |
| DB | Carl | Henriksson |
| DB | Leo | Spagnoli Pontecorvi |
| K | Alvin | Gustafsson |