Scores of blue-yellow supporters celebrated in the Stockholm night.
It had consequences.
– It is impossible to get home. It will probably be a hotel with the boys, says Anton from Farsta.
The suburb of Farsta is located one mile south of central Stockholm, where Sportbladet meets lots of happy supporters after the night game against Japan.
The match started at 01 and ended just before 03. Many people watched the match out in town and despite an hour and a half having passed since the final whistle, Anton and his friend Hannes still haven’t made it home.
– The bus leaves in an hour. We know we’ll get home, but we can’t bear to wait an hour. I’m going to work tomorrow, says Anton.
He nods at Hannes and continues:
– The genius here has been chasing taxis, but it’s impossible to get hold of them. Unfortunately.
“The buses just pass by”
A short distance away, several other blue-and-yellow fans crowd at a bus stop. A moment earlier, a crowded bus had passed without stopping.
– The buses just pass by, notes Viljo bitterly.
Suddenly, Viljo and his friends glimpse another bus approaching. They even start a cheering chant before disappointment hits.
– Nope! It’s the wrong bus…
The subway is promoted as an alternative solution in the crowd, but subway traffic does not open until 05.00 on weekdays.
SL’s response
Also in other places in Stockholm, people were crowded while waiting for public transport. At Slussen, hundreds of people were waiting for the bus.
At 04.30 Sportbladet was in contact with Helena Jakobsson, press spokesperson at SL (Greater Stockholm’s Lokaltrafik).
She has not noted any disturbances in public transport and says that it has not been relevant to keep the subway open during the night due to Sweden’s World Cup matches.
However, she points out that four night bus lines have more frequent traffic in the inner city during the Swedish night matches.
– We also have a dialogue with the traffic operators, especially in the inner city, about constantly adapting if there are larger passenger searches, as this could be, says Helena Jakobsson.
Then they can call for reinforcements?
– Exactly, but no real reinforcement. It is very difficult to predict exactly how the travel flows will be.
1–1 against Japan means that Sweden is through to the round of 16. There will probably be a match against France or Norway in New Jersey at 23:00, Swedish time, Tuesday, June 30.
The national team
