Swiss Cup Yverdon – Zurich – With the 26th penalty – FCZ defeat against the old coach
With the 26th penalty – FCZ defeat against the old coach
FC Zurich failed in the Cup round of 16 due to Yverdon-Sport. The Vaudois are trained by Uli Forte.
It is 23:07 when Bledian Krasniqi takes the 25th penalty of the evening. It’s already his second because this penalty shoot-out just keeps going. The number 7 of FC Zurich starts, delays – and hits the ball far over the goal. It is the decision against FCZ because Marculino Ninte exploited the 26th and last penalty of this Cup round of 16. Yverdon-Sport has thrown the FCZ out of the competition.
André Breitenreiter is already after four minutes that everything is not exactly as it should be at his FCZ. “Assan!” Yells the FCZ coach across the square. Followed by one: “What about that?!?” The wake-up call helps Assan Ceesay only to a limited extent. Maybe that’s because Breitenreiter defends for the first time this season not with a three-back but a back four. Center-back Becir Omeragic is slightly injured, as is Blerim Dzemaili.
Ceesay should somehow come from the left wing in the new system. Or maybe not? He and the interested audience do not find out until the break. And then the game is over for the man who has been in such impressive form so far this season. Breitenreiter replaces him with Wilfried Gnonto. The FCZ coach changes a lot more. He brings Fidan Aliti and thus switches back to a chain of three. And that has above all to do with this scene in the 43rd minute, in which Akaki Gogia misses a possible Zurich chance with a spoiled ball acceptance and Yverdon’s goalie Mirko Salvi then makes the game fast.
Now it shows how little style the FCZ comes across in its new dress. Ousmane Doumbia avoids the duel, Marc Hornschuh attacks much too high, but Mirlind Kryeziu staggered too deep. And Adrian Guerrero is somewhere in the middle. The result is the 1-0 for Yverdon-Sport. The Vladi striker talent borrowed from the Young Boys is what a great striker talent. And Steve Beleck meets after the preparatory work of the 20-year-old to lead the team from the Challenge League.
This has been built by Uli Forte into a really difficult opponent to play on. The former FCZ coach has taken over the team after three defeats in three league games. Now she convinces with a lot of physicality, good organization – and above all the belief that. Against the third in the Super League, a lot is possible if you catch the right moment.
Too many in sub-form
And the Vaudois caught him twice that evening. And Yverdon’s second goal lets the suspicion arise that Breitenreiter could have played any system that evening – and his team would have got into trouble in any case. Because Doumbia elegantly evades the duel with a three-man chain in this 94th minute, Hornschuh stands out again. And Kryeziu is only second winner again against Beleck.
The FCZ quickly got the ball that evening. But too many of their players have trouble with the slightly bumpy grass and especially with themselves. Antonio Marchesano has little influence, Ante Coric almost a little less. Doumbia is strangely tame in the infight, Ceesay is invisible and Hornschuh is not very positional.
At least Zurich has a bank with a lot of depth. And from there that evening Gnonto comes, who brings the necessary movement into play. And the FCZ also saved in extra time with its fine direct decrease from 17 meters in the 71st minute. It is Gnonto who prepared the 2-2 through Hornschuh in the 104th minute with his dribble and the cross. He provokes the yellow-red card against Breston Malula with his dribbles. And he converts his penalty in a penalty shootout. But a Gnonto is not enough for the FCZ that evening.
Florian Raz has been writing about football since 2001 and is hosting the “Third Half” podcast.
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