Switzerland – Germany When a score doesn’t reflect the actual game

Switzerland-Germany0-4 (0-1)

Parc St-Jacques – 38 500 spectators
Referee: Bramhaar (NED)
Goals: 23rd Klose 0-1. 61st Gomez 0-2. 67th Gomez 0-3. 89th Podolski 0-4.

Switzerland: Benaglio; Lichtsteiner, Eggimann, Senderos (75th von Bergen), Spycher; Behrami (58th Gygax), Inler, Fernandes (87th Huggel); Barnetta (80th Vonlanthen); Derdiyok (46th Nkufo), Frei (83rd Yakin).

Germany: Lehmann; Lahm (87th Trochowski), Mertesacker, Westermann, Jansen (79th Rolfes); Fritz (72nd Friedrich), Ballack, Hitzlsperger, Schweinsteiger; Gomez (75th Kuranyi), Klose (58th Podolski).

Switzerland without Philipp Degen, Magnin, Margairaz, Müller, Streller (injured) and Dzemaili (U-21). Yellow Card: 45th Schweinsteiger, 45th Ballack, 48th Klose, 65th Inler.

Kuhn took a risky choice – he decided to build his team around the Euro 2004 formation 4-3-1-2 with Barnetta taking on Hakan Yakin’s playmaker role. It was a failure.

With an attacking debut for the Frei-Derdiyok duo (instead of a more obvious Frei-N’Kufo or Frei-Vonlanthen) Barnetta’s role was undermined by a position that doesn’t grant him the speed and space he requires. The left wing was an utter failure with Gelson Fernandes having to play a role which is not is and Spycher being too slow for the German attackers.

The only positive news came from Inler and Behrami; the Serie A duo should certainly be in the starting 11 at Euro 2008. Despite the 4 goals he conceded Benaglio has proven to be the first-choice goalkeeper with an excellent save in the first half and good intervention in the second half. He is certainly responsible for Podolski’s final goal but the team’s morale must have fallen apart by then.

Despite the score Switzerland controlled the game with class and good passing and often Inler and Behrami did better than Ballack and Schweinsteiger yet the central duo Senderos-Eggimann failed to impress, the absence of Muller is a heavy price to pay (he will certainly sit out Euro 2008 since he’s trying to get back to a good shape playing with the Lyon reserve team).
All goals were due to lack of concentration, one on one situations with the goalkeeper and losses of the ball in midfield – furthermore, the state of the St. Jacques turf was awful (the third goal was due to the ball slowing in the mud and Senderos failing to reach it before the German counterattack).

Freiis a fundamental player – he scored a goal that was rightly disallowed for offside and provided Switzerland’s best chances. We are certainly a Frei-Barnetta dependent team.

Germanyplayed without impressing, without dominating, scoring on counterattacks and Swiss mistakes and showing how much experience matters in football.

This is the 4th consecutive defeat after the games against the US, Nigeria and England (something that hasn’t happened in 28 years). Kuhn has little time (friendlies against Slovakia and Liechtenstein) to build the player’s confidence and prepare a mature team that cannot make the same mistakes at an important tournament. The Swiss fans leaving the pitch at the German’s third goal and the booing at Zuberbuehler are certainly evidence for the growing disillusionment that is afflicting Swiss football.

What happened after World Cup 2006? What will happen at Euro 2008?

That is an answer Kuhn will have to provide us with.

What they said

Kuhn: “My players were completely shattered. I had to encourage them. The German team was superior to us. Against such an athletic team we have to be more precise. We made too many individual errors even when our opponents weren’t putting pressure on us. They were amateurs’ mistakes.”

Lichtsteiner: “The score is hard to accept. However, we played a first good half. Two serious mistakes ruined our game.”

Behrami: “We played well in the first hour. After that we lost concentration. It’s hard to find any positive side when the score is so heavy.”

Benaglio: “The team is very disappointed. A 4-0 score doesn’t reflect the actual game. We missed our last chance in Basel before the start of Euro 2008 but I’m certain that we’ll be able to recover.”

Frei: “When you lose 4-0 you shouldn’t say anything. You have to get working to do better.”