Vladimir Petkovic is leading Switzerland to a second consecutive tournament. Not a large country but consistently has earned the right to participate at the world’s premier tournaments.
Hope #1: That they will have defensive solidity.
While unable to win the group with Portugal during Qualification Switzerland was able to go team by team and dispatch each with ease. Their rugged defense held them through. Vetran defender Stephan Lichtsteiner has tricky fullback Ricardo Rodriguez to go both forward and back while young but strong defenders in Nico Elvedi and Manuel Akanji are the future and yet have been massive for getting the Swiss into such a comfortable position within the world’s top teams. This will do them well in a group with Serbia, Brazil and Costa Rica.
Hope #2: Midfield magician that is Granit Xhaka must spell the Swiss attack.
Undervalued at Arsenal is not unheard of. People can be silly really. Xhaka was at Monchengladbach and held his own in the Champions League. His dribbling and passing is quite excellent. His vision is solid and with such a team that is around him in the midfield good things can only happen.
Hope #3: They must believe that they are underdogs.
With Brazil getting the inches in magazines, websites, and newspapers this Swiss side is able to go up against the best in the world and hold their own. Costa Rica is a side who was this same underdog so they might not overlook the Swiss but this side has a lot of tournament experience and their coach has overseen a constant change in personnel and style of play.
The One Big Fear: Who Will Score?
Thing is in European qualification you have a dud teams. Andorra is not a team to think that will put up much of a fight as history has proven, Sorry Andorra fans.
In the attacking third has been a few players who have had pretty bad season and their reputations precede them. Haris Seferovic is one that this writer knows from being previously employed by their club. He can score again the smallest of teams but when you test him he falls short of the mark. Breel Embolo looked to be a few years ago the future but since his injury while with Schalke he has not even come close to returning to his former self despite his young years.
If they team doesn’t score it is hard to think of them getting into that knockout phase.
Switzerland
2018 World Cup
