The 1-0 defeat in the round of 16 against Sweden Limited reveals the weaknesses of the Swiss national team: it is too slow to play the game as coach Vladimir Petkovic has on your mind. And mentally too fragile.
Michele Coviello
The Swiss granite Xhaka, lonely among the victors of Sweden: (Image: Laurent Gilliéron / Keystone)
This was a great promise that coach Vladimir Petkovic took with him when he took office in 2014 The Swiss national team should be dominant, want to win against all opponents and play offensively. After the defeat against Sweden, participants must admit: This project needs a fundamental revision.
The World Cup has shown that this Swiss team is neither mentally nor playfully responding to its own high demands. There are many things in both fields, there is self-confidence and not without reason, because the qualities have it. The Swedes certainly did not dominate the opponents on Tuesday, they were technically probably inferior to the Swiss – but not as far as their tactics and concentration.
Especially here is a serious problem of this team. There is a gap between their self-esteem and their actual abilities, a gap that the Swedes did not have. They exploited their game without imagination and constantly used Swiss weaknesses. This corresponds to the image, the decisive goal was in fact a personal goal.
It's always like this: if you take too many steps, overwork can block you. Switzerland is dominant, yes, it can impose its superiority on the opponents, yes. But can she really surprise you? No, it is not yet capable of that. Moreover, this team lacks the rhythm to really play Petkovic football, which was at the beginning of the project. She plays too often back and forth instead of vertical, she needs time to get together and make decisions, she does not do enough technically savvy footballers like Zuber, Shaqiri or Embolo. Just Granit Xhaka, the leader of this team, acted against Sweden mentally and physically too slowly to fuel the team. And if they find themselves in the other area of repair, the presence of the attacker is too weak.
The Swiss national team does not reach the goal set and is eliminated in the first knockout round against Sweden 0-1. Granite Xhaka, Manuel Akanji and Ricardo Rodriguez are completely disappointed after the final whistle, the dream of the quarter-final has erupted. (Photo: Jason Cairnduff / Reuters) But from the beginning: Swiss fans are ready and eagerly awaiting a big football festival in the stadium of the World Cup in St. Petersburg, where the Swiss team can write the story. For the first time since 1954, Switzerland could reach the quarterfinals of a final today. (Photo: Georgi Licovski / EPA) Swedish fans are just as optimistic and in a good mood, while this baby, protected by a helmet, is only concerned with his dreams. (Photo: Tolga / Bozoglu / EPA) Switzerland joins Johann Djourou and Michael Lang for the suspended Schär and Lichtsteiner and Josip Drmic for Gavranović and the recoverer Steven Zuber for Embolo. (Photo: Jason Cairnduff / Reuters) Zuber (left) is the first Swiss to risk the shot, but the Swedish goalkeeper can parry. (Image: Damir Sagolj / Reuters) Shortly after, Sweden has a good chance of scoring. Manuel Akanji is able to intervene before the release of Marcus Berg. (Image: Damir Sagolj / Reuters) And Marcus Berg again has the opportunity to score. He appears after a wide ball on free defense before Yann Sommer, but deforms from a sharp angle. The ball flies by the meter. (Image: Jason Cairnduff / Reuters) At first, both teams made many shots on goal. Switzerland has more possession. Twice Drmic (l.) Launched, but the ball is presented to him too inaccurate. (Image: Efrem Lukatsky / AP) In the 28th minute, Marcus Berg hits an almost unbearable shot in the direction of the Swiss goal, but the summer can defend himself – that is world class. (Image: Jason Cairnduff / Reuters) High Legs: Ricardo Rodriguez in a duel with Sweden's Viktor Claesson. (Image: Dmitri Lovetsky / AP) Granite Xhaka tries to distribute the balls in the Swiss game – the flanks are mostly intercepted by the Swedes. (Photo: Imago) Marcus Berg pulls Johan Djourou hard enough on his pants. (Image: Imago) Blerim Dzemaili joins Steven Zuber in the left half of the box in the 38th minute. The Hoffenheimer immediately returns to the backcourt, where Blerim Dzemaili has a free 16-meter shot, but shoots the ball just above the crossbar. (Image: Laurent Gillieron / Keystone) Xherdan Shaqiri arrives on several good flanks, but for the moment he is leading no goal. Here he dissolves from the Swedish Ludwig Augustinsson. (Photo: Darko Bandic / AP) In the 40th minute, Forsberg tries to lift a free kick 22 meters from the wall. Dzemaili interrupts with his head and feigns the leather on the left. The ball just passes through the left post. (Image: Damir Sagolj / Reuters) A minute later, Ekdal shot from a Claesson center six meters over the Swiss goal. (Image: Jason Cairnduff / Reuters) At half-time, it's 0: 0 with a slight advantage for Switzerland. But Swedes are very dangerous. At the start of the second half, Switzerland remains on the trigger and starts quickly. She comes in a short time to four corner balls. That's where Drmic tries his head. (Photo: Lee Smith / Reuters) Xherdan Shaqiri is retained by Emil Forsberg. He does his job well, participates in many scenes of play, but he remains too harmless. (Image: Martin Meissner / AP) The goal is scored in the 66th minute, but not for the Swiss. Forsberg is free on the shot, Akanji directs the unfortunate ball into his own goal. Sweden leads 1-0. Now, Switzerland must react. (Image: Darren Staples / Reuters) Forsberg and his colleagues applaud. Now they are closer to the quarterfinals than the Swiss. (Photo: Lee Smith / Reuters) The Swiss are coming to more turns, there are already ten. (Image: Imago) But players can not achieve a goal. Shaqiri is trying it here. (Bild: Imago) Embolo, who came in as a substitute, runs several times in the penalty area and tries to play for free, but he does not have a goal either. (Image: Darren Staples / Reuters) Haris Seferovic came as well and tried to put accents, initially with little success. But in the last minutes he still manages to make a good header to the goal, unfortunately held by the Swedish goalkeeper. (Image: Lee Smith / Reuters) Instead of even, it was almost a cashing on the other side at the last minute. Lang pushes Olsson from behind. The referee whistles for the penalty, but resumes it after the video evidence and gives a free kick. The red card of Lang will not be taken again. (Image: Tolga Bozoglu / EPA) The free kick is shot directly by Ola Toivonen, Yann Sommer holds one more time. But then the final whistle sounded. The game is over, the dream of the quarter-final break-up. (Image: Henry Romero / Reuters) The jubilee belongs to the Swedes. They defended well, the Swiss were too dangerous in the penalty area. Scorer, Emil Forsberg (m.) Is the hero of the evening. (Image: Tolga Bozoglu / EPA) Switzerland again fails miserably in the round of 16. The performance of the Swiss was not enough. Ricardo Rodriguez and Manuel Akanji (below) are totally disappointed. (Image: Martin Meissner / AP)
0: 1 – Switzerland is eliminated, Sweden reaches the quarter-finals
These are all questions of mental strength. To move to the next stage of the long-awaited quarter-final, this generation needs an even bigger part. At this World Cup, he missed every game the start phase, even against Sweden, they could have come before the 10th minute late. In the Serbia match, leaders with the two-headed eagle gesture brought unnecessary troubles to the team. These are not insignificant details that influence such a tournament at a high level – quality or not.
