Boss of the Soca Warriors, Leo Beenhakker, however, refused to settle for massive underdogs who make upset on luck.

    "I could not be more proud of my players. They deserve this day.My team has show a great quality on the pitch, and next maybe they could go better, even for a win," commented the 63-year-old, who had coached the Netherlands to play World Cup Finals 16 years ago.

    "You could see in the game today that there are no more small fish in international football...This is football, not mathematics and two plus two very seldom equals four, usually it's three or five," he said.

    The Caribbean side, who failed to make real chances in goal, has been cut down to ten as defender Avery John was sent off for asecond bookable offence after his two-footed lunge caught Christian Wilhemlsson in the Scandinavians' right wing.

Trinidad and Tobago's JOHN Avery gets 2 yellow cards and leaves the pitch during the second match of 2006 FIFA Football World Cup Group B against Sweden at Dortmund's World Cup Stadium in Dortmund, Germany on June 10, 2006. The match ended 0-0. (Xinhua Photo)

    Regarded the true force who led the Trinny avoiding a defeat, the West Ham keeper Shaka Hislop did not show a hint of nerves with putting on a spectacular performance. He completely neutralised Sweden's impressive firepower, as Henrik Larsson, Freddie Ljungberg and Zlatan Ibrahimovich all saw chances denied.

    Sweden coach Lars Lagerback, who had eyed on an opening victory over the mininow Trinny, admitted that the goalless draw cost thema lot.

    "It's a little bit tough now, " said the 57-year-old. "But there 's still other matches in the group. We'll give our best to try to win the games left."

    With the draw, the Swedes will have to vie for a win over their next rivals Paraguay to make sure a top two finish in the close Group B which contains the formidable England.

    "I can't say I'm surprised. We were the much better side but they showed great skill and defend very well," said the 57-year-old."Their keeper made some great saves and we just couldn't score."

    "Without some faults, maybe we could win the match, but we didn' t discuss that so much," he added. "Playing a grand tournament like the World Cup, you never think about that much."

    Swedish midfielder Kim Kallstrom also rue on the opportunities his side had missed.

    "We had three, four, five completely open goals but could just not score," said Kallstrom, who came on in a double substitution with 12 minutes remaining.

    "It was tough and it will be even tougher for us from now on. We will work very hard to win our next match," he added.

    Sweden had most of the possession kicking off the match, swarming all over their Caribbean opponents and wasting no time to launch shooting attempt in front of the goalmouth in five minutes when both Henrik Larsson and Zlatan Ibrahimovic were denied.

    At the 12th minute, Ibrahimovic ran down the right box and gavea nice pass to Larsson, but the pull-back striker failed to followup behind, so did the coming up Fredie Ljungberg.

    Just a minute later, Olof Mellberg tries his luck from 30 meters to shoot wide off the target. The Swedes committed a free-kick in 15 mintues after Avery John chopping Christian Wilhelmsson in half, but Ibrahimovic's overhead kick again wide.

    Sweden's front two combined fluently in the following minutes, creating other more clear chances but none of them was converted into goal.

    Opening the second half in an even fiece way, Sweden got another try from Ibrahimovic as the Juventus forward got the ball after being brought down by Dwight Yorke at 52 and headed goalwards before it was gathered easily by Hislop.

    Larsson drove a distant shoot at 87 but the effort swerved well wide, before Ibrahimovic fired just too hight in 88 minutes and again spoils a decent display with a cynical foul from behind on Cyd Gray in the dying minute.

    With the absence of their first-choice keeper Andreas Isaksson of Stade Rennes, who will be out of action for 3 to 5 days after getting concussion in Wednesday's training accident, Sweden coach Lars Lagerback turned to substitute goalie Rami Shaaban for this match, but the World Cup debutant met nearly no real challenges against their mininows rivals.

    The Trinny's highlight came late before the break as Carlos Edwards headed the ball bouncing wide in 45 minutes, and goalkeeper His lop further proved himself the key to the Caribbean's defense, did enough to perform excellent stunners to shots from Sweden's Allback at 69 and 80. Enditem

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