Switzerland beaten 2-1 by England
Switzerland have lost 2-1 against England in a friendly match ahead of June's European football championship.
Wednesday’s defeat in London – the Swiss side’s sixth in 11 games as part of preparations for Euro 2008 – comes 121 days before the tournament kicks off in Basel.
England, currently 12th in Fifa’s world rankings, were strong favourites over 44th-ranked Switzerland and always looked in control of the match, despite the final scoreline.
“One can never be happy after a defeat,” said Swiss manager Köbi Kuhn after the match, “but my team has shown character – the boys never gave up. This match should serve us well. At [Euro 2008] the bar will be higher.”
What’s more most of Kuhn’s decisions were forced on him by injuries: Djourou, Dzemaili, Frei, Magnin, Streller and Philipp Degen were all unavailable.
Fabio Capello on the other hand made eight changes in his first England side: only Gareth Barry, Steven Gerrard and Joe Cole remained from the team that lost 3-2 to Croatia at Wembley in October to end England’s hopes of qualifying for Euro 2008.
For the first 30 minutes, England did little to impress either the new manager or the fans in the 86,857 crowd. But a spell of enterprising football almost brought two goals for Joe Cole before he set up Jermaine Jenas in the 40th minute.
Cole, on the left wing, picked up a long cross from Steven Gerrard and easily outwitted Swiss defender Stephan Lichtsteiner. Cole then deftly flicked the ball across the goal to Jenas, who had an easy shot from six metres for his first international goal. There was little the young Swiss keeper, Diego Benaglio, could do.
Swiss fans couldn’t believe their eyes however in the 59th minute when a well-worked series of passes ended with Tranquillo Barnetta pushing the ball into the path of substitute Eren Derdiyok, who on his international debut beat goalkeeper David James with a firm left-footer from the edge of the area.
But any Swiss hopes of a confidence-boosting upset were dashed three minutes later when Sean Wright-Phillips restored England’s lead. Gerrard pulled the ball inside for Wright-Phillips, who arrived unmarked and pushed the ball into the empty net.
Disappointing form
Switzerland have played ten other friendly matches since the 2006 World Cup: Germany (lost 3-1); Colombia (lost 3-1); Jamaica (won 2-0); the Netherlands (won 2-1); Chile (won 2-1); Japan (lost 3-4); Austria (won 3-1); Argentina (1-1); the United States (lost 0-1) and Nigeria (lost 0-1).
On the whole, the side has failed to rediscover the kind of form it demonstrated during the World Cup in Germany. Apart from the games against Argentina and the Netherlands, most performances have disappointed, with the Swiss forwards in particular failing to look threatening.
The Swiss have another three international friendly matches scheduled before Euro 2008 kicks off on June 7: Germany on March 26, Slovakia on May 24 and Liechtenstein on May 30.
Switzerland and Austria, who were beaten 3-0 by Germany on Wednesday, qualify automatically as hosts.
Fan power
Jörg Sager and Remo Andreetti were two of an estimated 8,000-10,000 fans who travelled from Switzerland to London. They had their pre-match agenda all worked out: a typically British trip to the bookmakers, followed by a “warm, flat beer”, as Sager called it, with other Swiss fans in a London pub.
Their hotel, in the heart of London’s Piccadilly Circus, was roughly half filled with Swiss fans, but Sager diplomatically said he appreciated British fans. “They’re just different to other supporters – more enthusiastic, very proud and they love football with heart and soul,” he told swissinfo.
Commenting on the choice of Swiss players, Andreetti said: “I think it was very courageous of Köbi Kuhn to put Benaglio in goal today. But I also think it’s the right decision for the future.”
Swiss fans might be having a good time off the pitch, but time is running out to find a winning formula on it.
swissinfo with agencies and Claudia Spahr in London
Result: Switzerland 1 – 2 England (0-1).
Goals: Jermaine Jenas (40), Eren Derdiyok (59), Sean Wright-Phillips (62)
Attendance: 86,857
Co-hosts Switzerland and Austria have qualified automatically for the Euro 2008 tournament, which takes place in June 2008.
15 of the 31 Euro 2008 matches will be played in Switzerland, including the opening match in Basel on June 7.
Austria hosts 16 games and stages the final in Vienna on June 29.
The Swiss team will face Portugal, Turkey and the Czech Republic during the group phase of the tournament.
England: James; Brown, Ferdinand, Upson, Ashley Cole (74. Bridge); Jenas (57. Wright-Phillips), Barry (74. Hargreaves), Gerrard; Bentley, Joe Cole (57. Crouch); Rooney (86. Ashley Young).
Switzerland: Benaglio; Lichtsteiner (46. Behrami), Eggimann, Senderos (55. Grichting), Spycher; Fernandes (84. Huggel), Inler; Gygax (46. Vonlanthen), Yakin (64. Margairaz), Barnetta; Nkufo (46. Derdiyok).
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