Despite integrating a difficult and complicated group, the
Swedes did not shrink and were ranked first in the area. After scoring six
points in all three games, Janne Andersson's team managed to make it to the
knockout stages of the Football World
Cup. In the match they beat South Korea 1-0, with a penalty goal, and then
fell to Germany, on the hour in a even 2-1. In their last match they needed to
win and they did it with clarity: they swept Mexico 3-0 and were first in their
group. Sweden got into the Soccer World
Cup eliminating Italy in the playoffs and leaving out Holland in their European
qualifying zone. A team without great individualities but a lot of group
hierarchy, delights a country that dreams of getting into the quarterfinals.
The match of the Swiss against Brazil was the beginning of a
perfect outcome: the 1-1 against Scratch cemented the bases of the dream of
qualifying to the round of 16. Later came a historic victory overcoming a match
lost by the minimum to win it 2-1, against Serbia who was his great rival in
the area. On the last day a tie in two against Costa Rica determined that the
five points won allowed the national team led by Vladimir Petkovic to advance
to the final phase in Russia.
Now Switzerland daydreams with the possibility of returning
to play the quarterfinals of a FIFA World
Cup 64 years later. Since they were hosts in 1954 until now, this selection
never returned to enter the eight best teams in the world and only 90 minutes
separate it from making history.
In one of the most even matches of the knockout stages of
the World Cup, which will be played
on Tuesday in St. Petersburg, Sweden and Switzerland will face for a place
among the eight best selected.
