Suddenly we have lost him. Sweden's captain Victor Nilsson Lindelöf sits on the podium in front of a packed press conference room - but is somewhere else.
"Excuse me, what was the question? I started thinking about something else," says the center back.
"It's not the first time a player has drifted off while I'm talking," national team captain Graham Potter counters sharply.
Perhaps Nilsson Lindelöf was daydreaming about what was to come. Tuesday night's match in front of nearly 50,000 spectators, a sold-out Strawberry Arena in Solna, will be something out of the ordinary.
Reminds me of 2017
Sweden will host Poland in a crucial match to decide which country will play in the World Cup this summer.
"I've been lucky enough to play many big matches in front of big crowds. But when you play for your country it means a little extra," says Victor Nilsson Lindelöf.
We are not just playing for ourselves, but for everyone who is here watching and everyone at home too. It is a powerful and big responsibility that we are all looking forward to.
Imagine how much one match can change. Last fall, the Swedish men's national team was booed after a disastrous World Cup qualifier. After the convincing 3-1 victory in the playoff semi-final against Ukraine on Thursday, they have the wind in their sails again, and the fans at their backs.
And if Nilsson Lindelöf is to be believed, Sweden has something big in store. He thinks back to the days before the 2017 playoffs, when the national team made it to the World Cup after an away win against Italy.
The feeling is about the same. There has been a very good atmosphere in the team and you can see that everyone has this "good" in their eyes and is ready to go out and do the work that is required.
“A dream”
In a short time, national captain Graham Potter, who took over from Jon Dahl Tomasson last fall, seems to have welded together a national team that was both wounded and reviled.
Even the Englishman feels the almost electric atmosphere ahead of the match against Poland.
"This is a fantastic opportunity. We are one match away from reaching the World Cup, it's a dream," says Potter.
Before the match against Ukraine, the national team arranged for the Swedish players to receive emotional video greetings from their families.
That is unnecessary now, says Graham Potter:
The match tomorrow is enough. To play here, in front of a packed stadium, with a chance to go to the World Cup. They don't need anything else, I can promise you that.
Sweden–Poland kicks off at 8:45 p.m. on Tuesday evening.
