Switzerland against Serbia: spectacle with background noise – sport

Five Swiss footballers still have something to make up for this winter. The quintet has witnessed the Swiss side’s last two World Cup round of 16 disappointments: Yann Sommer, Haris Seferovic, Ricardo Rodriguez, Xherdan Shaqiri and Granit Xhaka were there when Switzerland lost to Argentina in the round of 16 at the 2014 World Cup and at the 2018 World Cup to Sweden. The frustration was great then. Since then, impatience has weighed heavily. Now they get a third chance.

Next Tuesday evening in Lusail, the Swiss will play their third round of sixteen in a row, this time against Portugal. The five doubly frustrated players from 2014 and 2018 are also there, and they fought hard for their chance. In the final group game on Friday evening against Serbia, it took a 3-2 (2-2) win after a spectacularly oscillating game to reach the round of the 16 best nations behind Brazil in second place in the group. As number 15 in the world rankings, they know that they belong in this illustrious circle. But now they finally want to reach the quarterfinals. Your last at a World Cup was: 1954.

After Ottmar Hitzfeld (2014) and Vladimir Petkovic (2018), Murat Yakin is the third national coach to attempt the Swiss World Cup quarter-finals. He only took up his post last August. There were some doubts at the start of this World Cup after a meager 1-0 win against Cameroon and a 0-1 loss against Brazil. Some called the style of play of the team that followed the Helvetian battle cry “Hopp, Schwyz!” discouraged. follows. The team seemed more powerful against Serbia – but this also made them more vulnerable in defence. This is how a very entertaining game grew.

No provocations? This promise is put to the test after just 20 minutes

This duel was not only charged in tabular and football terms, but also politically. At the World Cup in Russia four years ago, the Albanian-born Swiss Xhaka and Shaqiri formed the Albanian heraldic eagle with their hands after their goals in the 2-1 victory against Serbia – a provocation against Serbia, which does not recognize Kosovo. This time, before the revenge, a snapshot of the Serbian dressing room appeared on the Internet with the outline of Kosovo behind the Serbian national colors. However, players and coaches had sworn to reduce the duel to football. No provocations! No politics!

The promise was put to the test after just 20 minutes, when Shaqiri made it 1-0 for Switzerland. As he cheered, he pointed with both thumbs to the signature on the back of his jersey and put his index finger to his lips with a grim look at the audience. He probably wanted to calm down – or provoke again?

The Bundesliga also played a role in the explosive duel in Doha’s container stadium. Seven current and eleven former footballers from the Bundesliga are part of the Switzerland squad for this World Cup; one current and seven former are in the Serbia squad. From the powerful Serbian storm, however, Filip Kostic (formerly VfB Stuttgart and Eintracht Frankfurt) is the only one with Germany experience. He initially saw his team’s stars turn the result over.

Aleksandar Mitrovic (Fulham FC, market value: 30 million euros) headed the 1-1 equalizer for Serbia in the 26th minute. Dusan Vlahovic (Juventus Turin, 80 million) made it 2-1 in the 35th minute. The Swiss goalkeeper Yann Sommer and the central defender Nico Elvedi had to watch the game in the hotel with a bad cold. Borussia Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel and former Hoffenheim player Fabian Schär played for the two Gladbachers.

Former Schalke and Gladbach player Breel Embolo brought the Swiss back into play shortly before the break (2:2, 44th minute) and thus finalized the highest-scoring first half of the World Cup to date. In football jargon one speaks of a psychologically important point in time, and that the very experienced Swiss are familiar with such things was demonstrated by Remo Freuler at a point in time that was no less relevant: with the 3:2 in the 48th minute. The Serbian defense around Bremen central defender Milos Veljkovic, who was substituted six minutes later, didn’t make a particularly stable impression.

In the 65th minute there was a commotion in front of the bench, in which both teams and coaches were involved because Serbia didn’t take a penalty. The discipline of everyone involved seemed fragile. Shaqiri was substituted, perhaps to save him from worse. Nerves were needed to bring success over time. In added time, the pack formed again. In the center again: Granit Xhaka with an obscene gesture – a sequel with sanctions is not excluded.