The voice is about to crack several times when the blue-yellow midfielder comes to the mixed zone after the heavy quarterfinal loss in Lille.
It was Bergendahl who, after a strong Swedish performance against the gold favorite, got the equalizing opportunity with less than 15 seconds left. The shot was saved by Emil Nielsen and the French referee duo Charlotte and Julie Bonaventura turned a blind eye to Magnus Landin standing inside the line.
It should have been a Swedish penalty.
It wasn't a Swedish penalty.
Instead, Denmark held on to win, 32–31.
I've seen pictures of it and it's clear that it's a penalty, it sucks, says Oscar Bergendahl.
"So damn frustrating"
In the European Championship in Germany in January, it was a questionable referee decision that disallowed Bergendahl's equalizing goal against Denmark in the group stage. Later, in the semifinal, it was Elohim Prandi's rule-breaking free throw in the last second that deprived Blue-Yellow of a final spot.
It's just so damn frustrating that it should end like this in another championship in a row, says "Berget".
The handball men came to the Olympic Games as one of the biggest Swedish medal hopes, with dreams of a first historic gold.
Costly losses
But two early losses to Germany and Slovenia in the group stage in Paris made the situation tough ahead of the knockout matches in Lille.
We put ourselves in this situation and have ourselves to blame, says Felix Claar, who was back after his heel problems and scored seven goals.
We can't stand here and blame the referees, there's been referee talk in many championships. One thing that bothers me incredibly much is in the second half, when we're one goal up and have two free opportunities. If we'd gotten two up there, you never know, it could have looked different, says the midfielder.
Claar and Glenn Solberg were entirely in agreement with Oscar Bergendahl that Sweden should have had a penalty. But even the national team coach acknowledged that it was the team's weak start to the Olympic Games that ultimately may have been too costly.
You'd like to get a penalty when it's a penalty. But I think the referees did a good match overall. And I think that if we'd been at this level in the group stage, we might not have met the world's best handball team in the quarterfinals, says Solberg.
Sweden has now been eliminated in the quarterfinals in both his Olympic Games as national team coach.
European Championship: Gold 2022 and bronze 2024.
World Championship: Silver 2021 and fourth 2023.
Olympic Games: Out in the quarterfinals both 2021 and 2024.
