Switzerland In Qualifications – Way to South Africa

The match in St.Gallen against Lettland was the „game of the last chance“. If they wouldn’t have won – Goodbye South Africa!

It was a fight and you could feel the nervousness that every player carried inside after the Luxemburg-crash. Fortunately there was Frei and I think alone his appearance was a calming down factor. He and the team didn’t give up after a 1:1 just a few minutes after the leading.

The target of the team of Ottmar Hitzfeld was a victory against Lettland and at least one point against Greece. The Greeks started furious in the qualifications: 3 victories, goal difference 8:0. Could we, the weak team of Switzerland, stop them?

Well, I must confess I was nervous before the game. Not as nervous as on the Lettland game, but still enough nervous that I saw my fingers trembling. The game against Luxemburg was no comparison though. I knew they would lose then because I had such a bad feeling about them.

But back to the game. Switzerland played very well at the beginning, they pressured Greece to defend. As long as the Greek weren’t in the near of the Swiss box, they couldn’t get dangerous. Then there was a hands penalty the ref didn’t whistle. But the Swiss didn’t complain, they concentrated themselves to the general things: their own effort.

Still I was nervous. The thing that they played well made me think about the Euro against the Czech Republic or even Turkey. They played well and lost.

I’m writing right now while excited watching the game.

After the 20^th minute and the first chance for Greece by freekick was through, the Greeks played better. By the 33^rd minute they change the game and now Greece is better than Switzerland and we have to tremble.

Barnetta is out because of a bursitis (in German Schleimbeutelentzündung^^) that wasn’t totally healed and my teeth hurt. No joke, there was a misunderstanding between two defenders and there was an excellent chance for the Greek – I bit in my notice book. Now my teeth hurt^^. But Benaglio was there and it’s still 0:0.

I wait impatiently for the break whistling. It’s the 37^th minute and if the game endures any longer, we are going to lose…PENALTY! In the 42^nd min. My heart is rushing.

Valon Behrami was “cut to the ground”. Alex Frei sets the ball and shoots…GOAL FOR SWITZERLAND!

I can’t believe it. And now my teeth are definitely dying.

Oh damn, that game is so important. Israel and Lettland – wait….Latvia! – tied the match today 1:1, that’s good for us, but what if Switzerland can’t use that result for its own? I doubt and hope to the same time.

One more free kick before the break for the opponent…defended.

Break. Time to cool down. *up to 30 minutes later*

Now – the 60^th minute – the game begins to become an open battle. Both teams have great chances. One mistake and we get a goal against us, one mistake of them it could be 2:0.

Still a half an hour and I can’t let the clock be out of my view…

And there it is! Karisteas (don’t know how the fuck I should write his name (I looked it up. Charisteas)) 1:1. The always bigger growing pressure of Greece is rewarded.

How do the both team react now?

My personal problem: How do my teeth react?

I take my Mp3 player and try to cool down with some music.

Alex Frei goes out, Haki Yakin comes.

What is a good game for, when you lose in the end – right now I got almost tears in my eyes: world class pass of Hakan to N’Kufo through three Greek. N’Kufo runs and runs…dribbles out the keeper…GOAL! 77^th minute.

N’Kufo, exactly! He’s the one I grant the goal most. He plays in the Netherlands, shoots goal after goal there, top scorer, everything’s okay. Here in the national team he didn’t feel well a pretty long time. He couldn’t score, wasn’t good. Now he is better, you feel that.. And suddenly there are the goals!

The Greeks were playing more silent after the 1:1. Could they come back with the tempo now to run after the draw again?

By the way: Moldavia and Luxemburg tied as well. So Switzerland could be the big winner of the Spieltag. But there are still those ten minutes. I hate the last ten minutes of a football game. In the last time there were just too many last-goal-disappointments. The ame against Israel, Turkey in Euro, with the FCSG, just too many, you know.

In the last minute there was just Benaglio and he held a difficult head ball secure.

As soon as he lay down there the ball in hands like it would be his wonder. I knew it would be over now.

Switzerland beats Greece in Piräus 2:1. I thank you so damn much!

 

Rang	Mannschaft	Spiele	Siege	Unen.	Nied.	Tore	Punkte
1.	Griechenland	4	3	0	1	9:2	9
2.	Israel	4	2	2	0	8:5	8
3.	Schweiz	4	2	1	1	7:6	7
4.	Lettland	4	1	1	2	4:6	4
5.	Luxemburg	4	1	1	2	3:7	4
6.	Moldawien	4	0	1	3	2:7	1

 Ps: 4 games, 4 victories, 13:0 goal difference. That’s the home balance of SG this season. It sounds wonderful! And we have a great coach! He was a good discipline! Costanzo played the last game not from the beginning, because he was angry because of an exchange of him. Ze Vitor didn’t play the whole match because of that reason. It’s a good coach. Thank you Uli Forte!