NIZHNIY NOVGOROD: Switzerland have made headlines in Russia for their players' arguable objective celebrations but the group stands on the verge of matching their best-ever run at a World Cup.
ALSO READ: Xhaka assured he's going to stay his cool vs Sweden
If Vladimir Petkovic's aspect beat Sweden in Saint Petersburg on Tuesday, they'll change into the primary Swiss group in 64 years to qualify for the quarter-finals of football's largest event.
Although they've largely gone below the radar in Russia -- double-eagle scoring celebrations towards Serbia aside towards -- the unheralded group are enjoying an excellent event.
Marshalled via skipper Stephan Lichtsteiner, driven via Valon Behrami's power, and ready to call on Xherdan Shaqiri's creativity, Switzerland emerged from a tricky Group E that included event favourites Brazil.
They are unbeaten in Russia, have scored in each sport and a defeat towards Portugal last October is the one blemish in an excellent run of results over the last two years.
Add in impressive goalkeeper Yann Sommer, who writes a gourmand meals weblog when no longer taking part in world football, and Switzerland are changing into an impressive unit.
"We want more and more," Petkovic said after his group made the last 16.
"We are used to making history, we have big ambitions and the next big ambition is to beat Sweden."
The last time Switzerland reached the quarter-finals of the World Cup, in 1954, they were hosts and the 16-team event was an excessively different beast -- they misplaced their last-eight clash to Austria 7-Five after being 3 up early on.
But as they give the impression of being to compare or even better that appearing, there's a significant cloud on the horizon for the Sweden match.
Switzerland's defence have excelled up to now but will be with out key defenders Lichtsteiner and Fabian Schaer towards Sweden after each picked up two yellow cards in the team stage.
Between them, Arsenal new boy Lichtsteiner and Schaer have performed greater than 150 instances for the country.
Lichtsteiner was one of 3 players who escaped with a wonderful -- Shaqiri and Arsenal's Granit Xhaka were the others -- after their politically motivated celebrations in the 2-1 win towards Serbia.
They celebrated targets with a pro-Kosovo double-eagle gesture.
The double-eagle image represents the Albanian flag and is seen as a symbol of defiance in Kosovo, which declared independence in 2008 in a transfer that Serbia nonetheless refuses to recognise.
Potential replacements for the Sweden sport come with some other player with an Arsenal connection, Johan Djourou, and Sommer's Borussia Moenchengladbach colleague, Michael Lang.
Petkovic said he had no regrets about selecting the now-suspended pair for the overall team sport but the choice to pick Lichtsteiner and Schaer towards Costa Rica when they were virtually assured of qualification might come below renewed scrutiny.
Switzerland and Sweden have no longer met since 2002 so there are fresh no indications of who could have the edge on Tuesday.
Although the last-16 match is among the least glamorous of the primary knockout segment, it supplies a just right alternative to qualify for the last 8 in the "weaker side" of the draw, and for Switzerland to re-write their World Cup history.
ALSO READ: Xhaka assured he's going to stay his cool vs Sweden
If Vladimir Petkovic's aspect beat Sweden in Saint Petersburg on Tuesday, they'll change into the primary Swiss group in 64 years to qualify for the quarter-finals of football's largest event.
Although they've largely gone below the radar in Russia -- double-eagle scoring celebrations towards Serbia aside towards -- the unheralded group are enjoying an excellent event.
Marshalled via skipper Stephan Lichtsteiner, driven via Valon Behrami's power, and ready to call on Xherdan Shaqiri's creativity, Switzerland emerged from a tricky Group E that included event favourites Brazil.
They are unbeaten in Russia, have scored in each sport and a defeat towards Portugal last October is the one blemish in an excellent run of results over the last two years.
Add in impressive goalkeeper Yann Sommer, who writes a gourmand meals weblog when no longer taking part in world football, and Switzerland are changing into an impressive unit.
"We want more and more," Petkovic said after his group made the last 16.
"We are used to making history, we have big ambitions and the next big ambition is to beat Sweden."
The last time Switzerland reached the quarter-finals of the World Cup, in 1954, they were hosts and the 16-team event was an excessively different beast -- they misplaced their last-eight clash to Austria 7-Five after being 3 up early on.
But as they give the impression of being to compare or even better that appearing, there's a significant cloud on the horizon for the Sweden match.
Switzerland's defence have excelled up to now but will be with out key defenders Lichtsteiner and Fabian Schaer towards Sweden after each picked up two yellow cards in the team stage.
Between them, Arsenal new boy Lichtsteiner and Schaer have performed greater than 150 instances for the country.
Lichtsteiner was one of 3 players who escaped with a wonderful -- Shaqiri and Arsenal's Granit Xhaka were the others -- after their politically motivated celebrations in the 2-1 win towards Serbia.
They celebrated targets with a pro-Kosovo double-eagle gesture.
The double-eagle image represents the Albanian flag and is seen as a symbol of defiance in Kosovo, which declared independence in 2008 in a transfer that Serbia nonetheless refuses to recognise.
Potential replacements for the Sweden sport come with some other player with an Arsenal connection, Johan Djourou, and Sommer's Borussia Moenchengladbach colleague, Michael Lang.
Petkovic said he had no regrets about selecting the now-suspended pair for the overall team sport but the choice to pick Lichtsteiner and Schaer towards Costa Rica when they were virtually assured of qualification might come below renewed scrutiny.
Switzerland and Sweden have no longer met since 2002 so there are fresh no indications of who could have the edge on Tuesday.
Although the last-16 match is among the least glamorous of the primary knockout segment, it supplies a just right alternative to qualify for the last 8 in the "weaker side" of the draw, and for Switzerland to re-write their World Cup history.
Switzerland bid to summon spirit of 1954 World Cup
![Switzerland bid to summon spirit of 1954 World Cup]()
Reviewed by Kailash
on
July 03, 2018
Rating:
