Winner of hearts – Switzerland fails on penalties to Spain
After an incredible fight, Switzerland failed on penalties in the quarter-finals to Spain.
The EM adventure is over for the Swiss national team. After a wild game in the quarter-finals of the European Championship, Switzerland lost against Spain 2-1 after extra time. The defeat? Incredibly bitter. Millimeter decisions, a “football god”, a very hard red card, many, many anxious minutes and then the penalty shoot-out in which Ruben Vargas missed the decisive penalty. But from the beginning.
In the 8th minute the doorbell rang for the first time. And it even hit a Swiss. Denis Zakaria shot the ball into the goal. But no Nati star, no Swiss fan in the stadium and probably no one at all the public viewings in the country was happy about that. Because: Zakaria deflected a shot from Spain’s Jordi Alba untenable in their own goal. Zakaria, of all things, has to be said. The man on whose shoulders there was already so much pressure that he had the job of replacing the suspended Captain Granit Xhaka.
And it didn’t get any better. Not at all. The game against Spain, it started really badly for the national team. So shortly after conceding Breel Embolo had to be replaced injured. Ruben Vargas came for him. The man who had only a little luck converted his penalty against France. Meanwhile, the Spanish team was convincing. After 25 minutes, the Spaniards had 75 percent of the game (Switzerland 25) and played over 200 successful passes (Switzerland 40).
Zakaria with an own goal
But then the Swiss caught up. Yes, there was a jolt through the team. Before the break, they didn’t allow much and repeatedly ventured forward towards the Spaniard’s penalty area. The Nati stars were not really dangerous. Once there would have been a penalty for Switzerland because Seferovic was fouled in the penalty area. But the referee correctly decided on offside. And so after 45 minutes the realization remained that coach Vladimir Petkovic’s plan had actually worked. Spain had a lot of the ball, but it didn’t seem as if the players knew exactly where the Swiss goal was. The thing: Zakaria knew it and made it 0-1.
In the second half, the national team became even stronger. The Spaniards weakened. Aside from their near-perfect pass rate, the Spanish team didn’t have much action to offer. And so it was initially the unlucky fellow Zakaria, who missed the equalizer by just a millimeter after a corner kick, and a little later Steven Zuber, who failed because of Spain goalie Unai Simon. In the 58th minute the time had come. Shaqiri scored to equalize 1-1. Freuler benefited from a gross mistake in the Spanish defense and put down on the captain of the national team. This only had to be pushed in.
Vargas misses penalty
So the national team was on the rise. Yes, the Swiss leadership was in the air. But then the shock! The referee Michael Oliver from England showed Remo Freuler the red card. He clearly played the ball. He straddled along the floor. The fans were stunned, as were the players and coach Petkovic. But all anger, it was of no use. The national team had to continue to ten.
Switzerland fought in extra time. And how! In a defensive battle, all Swiss players straddled, they knocked the ball away and ran their lungs out of their bodies. Spain kept coming up with chances, but the lead didn’t fall. Also thanks to Yann Sommer, whom SRF commentator Sascha Ruefer repeatedly referred to as “God of football”. With world-class parades, the Gladbach goalie kept the national team in the game over and over again. And so the penalty shootout had to decide in which Spain ultimately prevailed.