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The Aftermath

June 27th, 2006 | By: Adrian Wagner | 33 Comments »

Swiss Fans in Koeln during Switzerland vs Ukraine

So here I am, 1 hour of sleep later! You know, it’s always hard to loose in a penalty shoot-out - but that’s the World Cup rules: there can only be one winner at the end.

What’s there to say: neither the Swiss nor the Ukrainians wanted to make the crucial mistake and go one down and thus developed a game that was coined by defensive tactics and fright to take to much risk. I had the feeling, that alltogether we were a LITTLE bit more positive and especially in over-time it was more or less only Switzerland who was looking for the lucky punch…and didn’t find it. So, generally, we wouldn’t have stolen the victory. But let’s face it: we didn’t really play forward enough and didn’t generate enough chances. Thus it came to a penalty shoot-out, where our young players (remember, Switzerland was the second youngest team at the WC) didn’t stand up to the pressure. Obviously, I wanted us to win - but I’m not shattered or sore about it either. Hei, we even made WC history: we’re the first team to be eliminated without conceeding a goal.

After three matches, where Kuhn made all the right choices, I’m not so sure if he did this time around. A match that was gridlocked and looking to go to a penalty shoot-out, I wouldn’t have substituted Yakin. Yes, he was not as strong as against Korea and Togo…but he can hold the ball, draw a foul and is strong with set pieces (penalty = set piece, Koebi). Also, I didn’t really understand why he took Frei off the pitch. I completely understand Lustrinelli coming on - he would have taken a penalty. But so would Frei…and he has enough confidence and experience to take a penalty, unlike Streller. I saw that Frei didn’t appreciate it much and hope this will not be a problem for the team spirit, player - coach relationship respectively.

Ah well, what’s done is done. What we should remember is, that this team is actually in build up - for Euro2008 in Switzerland. That this young team went into the Round of 16 of a World Cup is great - and while we certainly had a shot at going further, we shouldn’t be too disappointed: this team has a bright future, especially as more and more young, very talented players are coming up (Berahmi, Djourou, Vonlanthen, and that other guy who signed for Chelsea…to lazy to look up his name).

And there was a perfect example of how football should be played near the end of the over-time. Wicky carried the ball into the penalty box and got tackled two-footed by the Ukrainian player. Now, the Ref CAN penalise this - but didn’t. Did Wicky, and the Swiss as a team for that matter, whinge and complain and stop playing? No, Wicky got up and went after the ball. That’s the spirit!

Oh and yeah, I want to thank all the Swiss who went to support the team in Germany. You guys rocked and created great atmospheres during the games!

And again, congratulations to Ukraine. It was a great match-up and you guys made me suffer. Hahaha. Now kick the Italians out as well! Go Shevshenko!

Well now, I will be able to just enjoy the World Cup, as opposed to suffer and loose a few years of my life.

Tags: Kuhn, Lustrinelli, Streller, Switzerland, Ukraine, Wicky, Yakin

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Comments

Displaying the most recent 25 comments from a total of 33 comments.

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By Adrian Wagner | June 28th, 2006 at 4:36 am

Are we still sore? Sheesh…

Everybody who has watched SEVERAL world cups and more than just his/her own nations matches knows:

Since decades it’s a ’soft rule’ that the Ref won’t call a penalty if it is a ‘ball-to-hand’ situation. He only calls a penalty if either a) it’s a ‘hand-to-ball’ situation or b) the ‘ball-to-hand’ situation prevents a direct goal.

But what do you know. You don’t care about the sport. You’re just sore losers without any understanding of the sport. Now shut up and let those who care about the sport watch the remainder of the World Cup.

Posted from Australia

By Europameister (ex Weltmeister) | June 28th, 2006 at 7:22 pm

back from cologne. damn that was bad indeed but well it will only make us stonger in the end and nobody should forget those are very young boys and things like this can happen. i was in the stadium and you could sense the fear of the players. it almost seemed like they froze because of the prospect to play italy and the chance of going even further, as we always look quite good against italy (1:1 a few weeks ago). the penalties were pure nerves at the end and kuhn decision to take alex out was clearly the wrong one. congrats to ukrain, we had a good time with their supporters after the game. germans proofed once again what dumb people they are with the behaviour they showed at the game but the gauchos will punish ‘em. the germans completely ignore the fact they only played average opposition so far and we all saw before the world cup started how bad their team really is. and things like this dont change in only a few weeks. well, bring on the Euro08 in Switzerland!

Posted from Ireland

By Ellie | June 29th, 2006 at 6:01 am

VALON BEHRAMI IS SO FUCKIN HOT!!

Posted from Australia

By henry | June 29th, 2006 at 6:59 am

You can only Delete
about different point of view.
I finally saw your level.

You have your opinion, so do I.

I think LOSER; unfairness, unconditional applause.

just like you.

Posted from Australia

By rolf | June 29th, 2006 at 8:14 am

I was somewhat worried when I saw that we started with only one forward - Frei. He is a very good striker but he also runs a lot and if he has to chase every ball, he runs out of steam towards the end. Ukraine provided such a terrific opportunity, they only have a very good goalie and a world-class striker, but they were without three of their center defenders. Putting pressure on a depleted defense usually induces mistakes. But to do this, you need several attackers. I like Yakin, but he is not as quick any more. But he should have been in at the end.

It is true that we are building for Euro 2008, but this was a once in life-time opportunity. When can we get another novice opponent lacking overall quality during a 2nd-round game? Usually, we would run into a former world champion. And this Swiss team was good enough to make some waves as the defence was extraordinairy and the attack could create chances, just not convert - see also France, we should have won that one, too, given the better goal scoring opportunities. So the task is clear, get more scorers and coldnosed poachers to convert the opportunities. Those types are much harder to find than solid, strong defenders and playmakers are.

Posted from United States

By Ben | June 29th, 2006 at 4:08 pm

Judge: Saddam, I have some good and bad news for you.

Saddam: So what are the bad news?

Judge: You are sentenced to death by shooting

Saddam: Oh well, so what are the good news?

Judge: Barnetta, Cabanas and Streller will shoot you!

Posted from United States

By Lau | June 29th, 2006 at 5:30 pm

It’s so unfair that two awfully bad countries (in football, i mean) like those, have meet in the same match, so one of them would pass to the quarters when teams like mexico, for example, was left out. And now Italy has a free pass to the semis. Did swiss and ucraine people really enjoy that game..? Or are they proud of it? The only good thing that Ucraine has is shevchenko, and the swiss, m hunziker.

Posted from Argentina

By Europameister (ex Weltmeister) | June 29th, 2006 at 6:52 pm

Lau, you forgot our economy, one of the strongest in the world and also one of the highest per head income in the world. how about the gauchos? still using your currency as wallpaper and kicking each others head in? :))

Posted from Ireland

By Adrian Wagner | June 30th, 2006 at 2:54 am

Henry: yes, I did delete comments - always said I did. I’m supposed to moderate this part of the blog and it’s my responsibility to delete all insults, slanders and stupid conspiracy theories that have NOTHING to do with football.

Ben: That is a good one. Hahaha. :))

Lau: Well, I supported the Mexicans from the start of the WC and their performance against Angola and Mexico were dismal and the one against Iran not much better. It was really only the Argentina game, where they showed somethign to cheer for. I think Switzerland has a) been much more consistent and b) great defending skills. Football ain’t just about attacking. You can go far, and deserve to, with a good and working system, i.e. German (not this year around), Italy, Greece, etc. There’s nothing wrong about that.

And out chances at beating Italy would have been better for the Ukraine (sorry guys….).

Posted from Australia

By Lau | June 30th, 2006 at 7:13 am

Great defending skills? You call defending skills to see two teams with eleven defenders each??
And about the stable economy etc.. I was taking about football skills, not of any other kind, I don’t think you were talking about footbal techniques with that “gauchos” insult or the currency stuff that I didn’t get for being honest.

Posted from Argentina

By Lau | June 30th, 2006 at 7:15 am

Whait.. now I get it.. you thought I’m from méxico..
No, I’m Argentine.

Posted from Argentina

By Europameister (ex Weltmeister) | July 2nd, 2006 at 3:04 am

well Lau, as you can see, economy and sports go hand in and, s.american teams are like their economy, weak. the fact that not argetina, mexico or whoever from there is in it anymore should be proof enough. eventhough argentina was the better team, its just like in the business world, if you make stupid decisions, you are going down.

Posted from Ireland

By Lau | July 2nd, 2006 at 9:58 am

Europamaistro: Could you be more clear about what bad decission we made..? There is no good decission to make when the referee and the fifa had already decided that the germans had to win. The same way they decided that brazil had to win too, but that one didn’t work out. Are you going to say that the fifa gave sleepeng pills to the swiss and uckraines before the match..?

Posted from Argentina

By Europameister (ex Weltmeister) | July 2nd, 2006 at 1:49 pm

sorry, i thought that was clear to anyone who knows a bit about football. taking Riquelme out and trying to hold a narrow lead, instead of continuing dominating the Germans and make a 2nd and a 3rd. if you are the better team, then dont shit your pants, go on and finish them. well, too late now

Posted from Ireland

By Europameister (ex Weltmeister) | July 2nd, 2006 at 1:49 pm

and do you honestly think you can run around insulting other nations and not getting it back? then think again

Posted from Ireland

By Adrian Wagner | July 3rd, 2006 at 3:09 am

Lau: stop with the conspiracy theories. Seriously. Everybody’s whinging all the time and blaming the Ref for loosing. See, Argentina’s my second team and I seriously wanted them to go past Germany. And while they were the better team…they simply didn’t ‘want’ it enough. It was the same with Switzerland. We can’t complain when we go out in a penalty shoot-out if we didn’t take enough risk to actually win.

Posted from Australia

By mara1ona | July 3rd, 2006 at 10:08 am

So disappointed with Switz now that we see France in the semis. Swiss should have beaten them. No goals conceded which is fantastic but just not enough ambition in the Ukraine game. Swiss could quite easily be there playing the Germans.

Kuhn’s decision to take off Frei the chief penalty taker with 4 mins to go is as baffling as many other VERY SERIOUS mistakes made by many a manager at this world cup,

1) Sven even taking Theo Walcott
2) Van Basten replacing Van Nist with Kuyt (his ego being far more important than the Dutch people or country, he should be sacked)
3) Pekerman taking off his best players and hoping to hang onto a 1-0 win v the host nation
4) Perreira sticking with Cafu and Carlos when quite clearly they played their best football 2nd half v Japan

It has been the managers that have baffled me the most this world cup, my 3 year old nephew knows more about football than some of the affore mentioned assholes. Every 1 of them has cost his country. Just not good enough at the biggest tournament in the world.

Who are they getting paid by? That is the question.

By Europameister (ex Weltmeister) | July 3rd, 2006 at 1:14 pm

“Swiss could quite easily be there playing the Germans.”

exactly! and what an easy draw the would have been, can you imagine?

I don’t wanna slag off Kuhn too much now, although to be honest I was never really in favor of him but I respect what he achieved. But it was not only that he took Frei out, also at our last game in Ireland we played the completely wrong formation (Frei almost in midfield) and therefor only drew a game we also should have won easily. Ok, the hell of Istanbul was a good experience for the future though. I find it a shame that we dont play a forward going one like a 4-3-1-2 which we have done before and it was very succesful. Especially because we have the players to do so. Let’s hope Köbi learns and otherwise bring on Hitzfeld, who I always thought was the perfect man for the job.

Posted from Ireland

By Lau | July 6th, 2006 at 9:16 am

One more “conspiracy theory” comment. Hasn’t anyone seen the great amount on shots that went above the goal? The balls used in this WC weight like 1gr. I bet the germs are practicing with those balls since the last four years, while for most of the players are impossible to handle.

Posted from Argentina

By mara1ona | July 6th, 2006 at 3:49 pm

To any Swiss fans still tuning in. You can be proud of yourselves. You were unlucky and Italy could not beat you in friendly just before the world cup. You should have gone further in the tournamment. My money will be on you in Euro 2008.

Anyway get on Germany and Italy to both win in 90mins. They are different class to the opposition and only match fixing can change these results.

Im going to fill my boots and hope the later does not materialize.

Double pays 7/2.

mara1ona (Scotland)

By Adrian Wagner | July 11th, 2006 at 7:38 am

Lau: Yeah, right! You can’t possibly believe this yourself! The discussion of the ball is an old one by now. It’s the same for everybody. It’s an ‘attacker’s ball’ no doubt…but isn’t Argentina supposed to be an ‘attacking team’. Should have suited them well.

Posted from Australia

By Joseph from Malta | July 11th, 2006 at 2:01 pm

Congrats to the Swiss for their defence….but how boring were their games.

Better luck next time, dear Switzerland….only Italy were similarly solid in defence….& they won the World Cup.

Anway, a neew video game featuring the shameful incident by vicious Zidane has been released:
http://img146.imageshack.us/img146/6342/zidane29b8gb.gif

Posted from Malta

By Lol_I_Pop | July 11th, 2006 at 11:48 pm

Swiss team a disappointment. The NALI can do better.

Swiss soccer fans a disgrace:
so shamefully envious and ill-meaning towards Germany. Choke on your cheese.

Posted from Germany

By To the Korean Whingers | July 14th, 2006 at 7:33 am

Lol_I_Pop: What’s your problem. I think it was actually the German fans making fun of the Swiss. And it’s not really something new that EVERYBODY in Europe dislikes the German national team. Hahaha.

And to our Korean ‘friends’ I’d like to say:

Your new FIFA rank: 56. That’s gonna be your best in the next 50 years. Can you say:
L
O
O
S
E
R
S

Posted from Australia

By rawky | July 23rd, 2006 at 7:51 am

all u germans like is to drink beer and eat sausages…what good is that…no wonder there is many fat people in Germany.

Posted from Taiwan