The squad: Switzerland made some unusual history at the 2006 World Cup, becoming the first nation ever to be eliminated without conceding a goal. After winning a group that included France, the Swiss went out to Ukraine in a Round of 16 shootout in which they failed to convert any of their PKs. They have yet to win a match in two previous Euro appearances (1996, 2004).
The players: With a defense-first mentality, the Swiss will look to Borussia Dortmund striker Alex Frei to provide the goals. The Swiss captain managed only nine league games due to injury, but still finished tied for second on the squad with six goals. Any concerns over his fitness dissolved with two goals in a 2-0 friendly win against Slovakia last Saturday. Diego Benaglio is expected to get the nod in goal over Pascal Zuberbuhler, who posted four clean sheets at the 2006 World Cup.
The schedule: vs. Czech Republic (6/7); vs. Turkey (6/11); vs. Portugal (6/15)
The prediction: The co-hosts hopes of advancing to the quarterfinals likely hinge on their opening match against the Czech Republic. A win puts them in position to advance, but a group stage exit seems more likely.
1 comment:
Hi Dan,
Check out Kontend.com to connect with fellow fans and challenge fans of other teams in head to head matchups around Euro 2008 games.
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