When Ángel Di María finally beat goalkeeper Diego Benaglio in the round of 16 of the 2014 World Cup, the Argentine announcer couldn’t contain himself and shouted:
“Go work in a bank, Benaglio!”
In one of the most exciting games of that World Cup, in Brazil, Lionel Messi’s team defeated Switzerland 1-0 with a goal in the last minute of extra time. Before the final whistle, the Swiss hit a ball on Argentina’s crossbar and almost took the match to penalties.
In football culture, especially in South America, Switzerland, Brazil’s second opponents in this year’s Qatar tournament, is an easy target. A rich, small, cold country, known for its political neutrality and a world financial center, it has – even if this is not recognized – gained relevance in the field.
Brazil and Switzerland will face each other on Monday, November 28, at the Ras Abu Aboud stadium, in Doha.
The selection has been present in every World Cup since 2006. It has always qualified for the round of 16, except in 2010, when it fell in the group stage. But, on the way, he defeated Spain, which would be, six games later, world champion.
The nation’s stereotypes mean that football achievements may not be valued. In 2006, it was eliminated on penalties by Ukraine. He said goodbye to the tournament in Germany without conceding a goal, which reinforced the image of the defensive scheme, the bolt. Reference to the tactic used by the team in 1938, 84 years ago, considered the first outrigger in history.
But it was the tournament where Switzerland, known for its neutrality, eliminated Nazi Germany by scoring four goals in the tiebreaker. He reached the quarterfinals, equaling his best result in the competition. Four years earlier he was also 90 minutes from the semifinals.
The country that has become almost synonymous with defensive style has been the center of the clash with the most goals in the history of the World Cups. In 1954, it was also eliminated in the quarterfinals by Austria, in a 7-5 defeat.
It will be the third time that Switzerland will be in the way of Brazil and it is undefeated. It was the only game that the South American team did not win before the decision against Uruguay in 1950: a 2-2 draw at Pacaembu. In Russia, in 2018, the selections were 1-1, also for the group stage.
As has happened in other tournaments, the selection should bring a multi-ethnic squad to Qatar. The even more well-known offensive name is Xherdan Shaqiri. Born in the former Yugoslavia, in the territory that today belongs to Kosovo, he is the son of Albanian parents and could represent any of those countries.
By beating Serbia 2-1 at the 2018 World Cup, he made the symbol of the two-headed black eagle present on the flag of Albania, origin of the majority of the Kosovar people. The gesture caused controversy. It was repeated in the same match by captain Granit Xhaka, born in Basel, but son of Albanians.
Even coach Murat Yakin, a discreet former defender, has Turkish descent.
That’s not news. In previous selections, it already happened. One of the greatest midfielders in the country’s history, Ciriaco Sforza, is the son of Italian parents raised in the German part of Switzerland. He participated in what is considered the golden generation of national football that had forwards Stéphane Chapuisat and Adrian Knup and played in the 1994 World Cup.
The base of Switzerland that goes to Qatar should be formed by the team that played in Euro 2020. The same team that eliminated in the round of 16 the world champion France, on penalties, after drawing 3-3 in a game in which they lost by 3 to 1.
The national league is unimpressive on the European scene and has been dominated in recent years by Young Boys, the current four-time champion. It is the team that obtained the best result on the continent. He was a semi-finalist in the European Cup in 1959, a tournament that in 1992 would become the Champions League. In the competition of the current season, the club finished last in its group and was eliminated.
The biggest local winner is Grasshoppers, champion 26 times.
Switzerland entered the qualifiers as the second force in their group, but took the only place directly and pushed Italy into the playoffs, where they were eliminated by North Macedonia. In the last round, they thrashed Bulgaria 4-0 and had the Italian draw with Northern Ireland to finish in first place.
To qualify, Switzerland kept under the command of Murat Yakin the same style of play as his predecessor, Vladimir Petkovic, a variation between 4-3-3 and 4-2-3-1, with Granit Xhaka in the role of midfielder who also arrives at the attack to finish.
In Haris Seferovic, the selection has a striker who knows how to score goals, even if it’s to enter during matches. The offensive reference is still Shaqiri, currently in the Chicago Fire of MLS (Major League Soccer). Yann Sommer is considered one of the best goalkeepers in the Bundesliga. In eight qualifiers, Switzerland conceded just two goals.
SWITZERLAND
Continent: Europe
Capital: bern
Area: 41,285 km²
Population: 8.6 million
Main achievements in football: quarterfinals of the 1934, 1938 and 1954 World Cups
Top scorer: Alexander Frei (42 goals)
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