Hakan Yakin ensured Switzerland signed off their Euro 2008 campaign on a high note with both goals in a 2-0 win over a much-changed and below-par Portugal.The co-hosts already knew their fate as Group A basement boys heading into the final match, but they gave the home fans and out-going coach Kobi Kuhn a night to remember after a deserved victory against one of the tournament favourites.
Portugal had already confirmed their progress to the knock-out stages as group winners, so it was little surprise when coach Luiz Felipe Scolari made eight changes to the side that had beaten both Turkey and Czech Republic in their two previous games.
Out when the likes of Ronaldo, Deco, Jose Bosingwa, Joao Moutinho, Simao and Ricardo Carvalho, but their replacements will hardly have impressed the Brazilian coach after producing a disappointing team performance.
Second-string attacking trio Nani, Ricardo Quaresma and Helder Postiga were particularly culpable as they either wasted chances or drifted in and out of the game.
Nani was denied a 14th minute penalty when he appeared to have his legs taken on the by-line by a wild Stefan Lichtsteiner challenge.
Veteran goalkeeper Pascal Zuberbuhler then did well to push Pepe's flick from Nani's driven 30-yard free-kick up and onto his own crossbar with an inadvertent touch.Gokhan Inler tested Ricardo at the other end with a dipping effort from 35 yards which the keeper tipped over the bar, while he clawed away a close-range header from the livewire Yakin as Switzerland showed glimpses of attacking endeavour.
Portugal saw a Postiga effort incorrectly ruled out for offside on 37 minutes when he prodded the ball home from close range after a neat through ball from Nani in the only real moment of quality conjured up by the frontmen.
After the break, Nani should have fired his side into a 53rd minute lead, but found the outside of the upright after looking to squeeze a shot between the keeper and his near post.
That let-off seemed to spur the Swiss on and substitute Tranquillo Barnetta almost prodded the ball home at the near post with his first touch and Inler fired in a rasping 20-yard right-foot shot which deflected behind off the post soon after.
However, they were rewarded on 71 minutes when the deadlock was broken by Yakin.Eren Derdiyok flicked the ball on to the diminutive forward, who was clearly onside as he rifled home a half-volley between the legs of Ricardo from ten yards.
Then with St Jakob Park rocking, a clumsy challenge from Fernando Meira on Barnetta resulted in a penalty and Yakin held his nerve to find the top corner with a superb spot-kick to ensure a disappointing tournament ended on a high for the co-hosts.
Portugal must now hope their big-guns can hit the ground running on their return with a quarter-final meeting against one of Germany, Austria or Poland.
1-0 Hakan Yakin 71′
2-0 Hakan Yakin (pen) 83′
Main Highlights
Switzerland 2 - 0 Portugal
71′ H. Yakin [1 - 0]
83′ H. Yakin (penalty kick) [2 - 0]
Match Statistics:
shots on target : 8 - 2
shots off target : 6 - 4
possession (%) : 48 - 52
corner kicks : 5 - 2
offsides : 1 - 6
fouls : 27 - 26
yellow cards : 4 - 4
red cards : 0 - 0
Referee: Konrad Plautz (Austria)
Attendace: 39,730
.jpg)
No comments:
Post a Comment