Switzerland tries to end 72-year drought against Colombia in the World Cup
Switzerland is trying to end this Tuesday (7) a 72-year fast without reaching the quarter-finals of a World Cup. The challenge will be against Colombia, at 5pm, at BC Place, in Vancouver, in a match that counts for the last place in the top eight of the tournament.
The last time the Swiss were at this stage was in 1954, when the country hosted the World Cup and achieved its best campaign. On that occasion, he ended up being eliminated by Austria in a game that went down in history with a score of 7 to 5, known as the "Battle of the Heat of Lausanne".
Now, the team led by Murat Yakin arrives at the clash fueled by the 2-0 victory over Algeria in the round of 16 and by a campaign of growth throughout the competition. One of the highlights is midfielder Johan Manzambi, 20 years old, who has three goals and two assists and has established himself as an important player in the offensive sector.
On the other hand, Colombia enters the field without defeats in the World Cup and with only one goal conceded so far. Néstor Lorenzo's team led Group K, the same as Portugal, and advanced to the round of 16 after beating Ghana 1-0, maintaining defensive strength as the main hallmark of the campaign.
In attack, the South American team is banking on the experience of James Rodríguez and the speed of Luis Díaz to try to repeat the feat of 2014, when they reached the quarter-finals for the first time in history, being eliminated by the Brazilian team.
Before the decisive clash in Vancouver, Switzerland coach Murat Yakin highlighted the intensity of the opponent and the need for collective action to advance to the quarter-finals.
"Colombia is a team with a lot of technical quality. Due to the intensity with which they play, they can be dangerous at any moment. We will have to stay together and act as a team if we want to advance", said the Swiss coach.
On the other side, Colombia's commander, Néstor Lorenzo, also valued the opponent and projected a high-level duel. "Switzerland is a very organized team. They play well and also have quality players in the final third of the field. It will be a very difficult match," said the Colombian coach.
The retrospect between the selections is short. Switzerland and Colombia have only faced each other once in the World Cup, in 1994, when the South Americans won 2-0.
Analysis: "Brazil had a mediocre campaign with poor repertoire"
Source: CNN