FIFA World Cup 2010: Round up – Table tops collide, as an all attacking and fast Chile side, faces a solid defensive Swiss side.
Although the score line of 1-0 in which both teams won their opening fixtures may make them appear very similar; both Chile and Switzerland possess two very different styles of play. Chile boasts the artistic style of play, which almost all South American football nations pride themselves on while the Swiss boast a very solid defence. When both these styles meet, a delicious treat for both sets of fans is to be expected.
Chile registered an impressive performance in their opening match against Honduras, played in the Nelspruit - Mbombela Stadium. They probably deserved a better score line than 1-0, as they created a ton of chances, sometimes expertly saved or owing to failure to finish. Whatever the case was, one thing is for sure, Chile would improve their finishing ability if they are to disrupt a very solid Swiss defence line.
Switzerland’s shock victory over the Spanish in Durban, secured by Gelson Fernande’s 52nd-minute strike, underlined the defensive strength of a team that also played four games at Germany 2006 without conceding a goal. Containing an all-star Spanish side, which scored 28 goals and went undefeated in the qualifiers, proves the quality the Swiss defence possesses. A win for any of these teams secures them a spot in the round of 16. The game is expected to be filled with creative play and tough defence by either side.
The tall and nimble 27 year old Swiss shot stopper is the pride of his team and nation. His sensational performance in containing the Spaniards strikers showed the amount of talent he possesses. His next challenge is to deny the Chile front man, Sauzo, who scored 10 goals in Chile’s qualifying campaign. Having been only able to watch his team play from sidelines owing to a muscle sprain, he looks the likely candidate to end Swiss’s impressive 5 World Cup games without conceding a single goal. Currently, the Swiss hold the third highest number of minutes without conceding a goal in the World Cup finals. They only need to push another 67 minutes to set a new World record, rivalled by Italy at 550 minutes, England at 501 and Swiss at 484 minutes.
According to Luis Marin, Chile goalkeeper, “We don’t need to get the calculators out, because our fate is entirely in our own hands. Besides which, we’re not going to change the style of play because we’re taking on Switzerland. We always play the same way, as we showed against Honduras”. Coach Marcelo Bielsa’s all-action Chile side, noted for their non-stop attacking play and packed with young and gifted performers, need to get their act together and think out of the box if they are to beat the Swiss defence.
Switz defender Reto Ziegler was also not short of words in explaining the importance of this game. He stated, “We know we have to focus on playing well against Chile because it’s no good beating Spain and then playing badly in the next game. We know that we achieved something great and we’re all proud for our country, but we need to play a solid match against Chile because it’ll be another tough game”.
The last time these two teams clashed was in 2007, where the Swiss were able to overcome the Chile side in a 2-1 victory. However, they’ve met in the World Cup finals once where Chile dismantled the Swiss in a 3-1 victory. Overall, the Swiss have the edge over the Chileans as they have won two of three of the appearances.
Nevertheless, nothing can be said about this gruelling encounter between two very talented sides. Swiss would want to repeat their defensive display against Spain. Although seeing very little of the ball, they still managed to do what was needed and sunk the European champions and secured the important three points. Chile on the other hand, need to be very careful about the Swiss threat, and might need to be more creative and artistic in their approach. A tough yet highly entertaining roller coaster ride of a game is to be expected; with perhaps a draw between the two can be the most favourable result for both. Swiss might just be able to establish the world record of more than 550 minutes without conceding a goal. If however, Chile does manage to pull one past the Switz goal keeper, it may be game over for the Switz.
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