Soccer: The Swiss national team before the game in Geneva against Portugal
At the 0: 4 in Lisbon a week ago, the Nati from Portugal can be shown regularly. Gregor Kobel calls the failed appearance by its name. After the final whistle, the national goalie says: “It was a shitty game until the end. It’s difficult to analyze…»
The 15 minutes before the break were probably the worst quarter of an hour for a national team in years: Attack after attack breaks through the Swiss: Cristiano Ronaldo hits the net twice, the superstar kindly leaves two other top-class players behind. Maybe out of pity for the helpless Swiss. Perhaps also out of pity for his mother, die in the grandstand because of her son’s gala performance from breathing liquor.
Ultimately, the Nati conceded a 0:4 in a test against Germany in 2008. Coach Murat Yakin is also served after the Portuguese lesson, says: “Today we don’t have to look for excuses, the opponent was better in all phases.”
It’s Ronaldo’s goals 116 and 117 in Portugal’s 188th game. The Nati seems to be CR7: In the 3: 1 in the semi-finals of the Nations League 2019 he scored three times!
There will be no more Ronaldo goals against Switzerland. At least not on Sunday in Geneva. The mega star did not travel in Switzerland. Just like Dortmund’s Raphael Guerreiro and veteran Joao Moutinho.
Ronaldo frustration in Geneva
The Portuguese association cites “expense management” as the reason. Portugal coach Fernando Santos says: “It’s not physical problems. It’s normal management. It wouldn’t make sense to travel to Switzerland with 26 players when only 23 can be in the squad…”
Anders finds: The trip to Geneva is not worthwhile for the trio. Ronaldo is being sealed. Seems the Portuguese are taking the Swiss from a week ago lightly. Who can blame them after their poor performance a week ago?
Xhaka: “Maybe it’s good that Ronaldo is missing”
All CR7 fans in Switzerland and the many Portuguese living in Switzerland take it badly against the Portuguese association. They are all frustrated now and express the great Ronaldo frustration. Because not least because of the five-time world footballer, the Stade de Genève is sold out for Sunday with 26,300 fans.
What does the absence of CR7 mean for our Nati stars? Is this good or bad news? Both for Captain Granit Xhaka. He says: “We want to measure ourselves against the best. And Ronaldo is the best. That’s why it’s a pity. But of course we also know that he likes to score against us, so maybe it’s a good thing that he’s missing.” Xhaka added: “But even without him, the task will certainly not be easier for us.”
“There will be another team on the pitch”
No matter who faces the Portuguese superstars and who doesn’t, the Nati will take revenge a week after the embarrassing bankruptcy. Confident that it could work is not only the second half in the 0-1 draw against Spain, but also the personnel situation. Yakin says: «We have to do something good. There will be a completely different team on the pitch than in Portugal.” In contrast to the first leg in Lisbon, Yakin is likely to change his defense to three out of four positions. Defense chief Manuel Akanji has reported back against Spain. And one expects the recently injured Nico Elvedi to give the green light. Silvan Widmer defends on the right instead of Kevin Mbabu. Ricardo Rodriguez is only likely to appear in the back left.
A successful revenge would be extremely important: the Nati cannot afford another bankruptcy if they do not want to be relegated from Group A after the fourth day of the Nations League. In addition, the national team is still without a win in the 2022 World Cup. Yakin brushes aside all the stats and negative thoughts before the scoop. “We focus entirely on our task.”