Sunday, June 15, 2014

Switzerland 2-1 Ecuador:


What. A. Finish.
No more than 18 seconds after Valon Behrami produced a brilliant tackle to prevent Michael Arroyo from scoring a last gasp winner for Ecuador, Haris Seferovic was slotting home a winner for Switzerland with virtually the last kick of the game.
The World Cup has been quite a spectacle so far - but it'll take something to beat this dramatic ending in Brasilia.
Heartbreaking for Ecuador, heartwarming for the Swiss - exhilarating for the neutral.

Understandably, the South American's looked far more comfortable in the Brazilian heat during the opening stages - but it was Ottmar Hitzfeld's side that had the first sniff of a chance in the 12th minute, Jorge Guagua making an excellent sliding tackle to stop Josip Drmic.
The Swiss threatened again four minutes later when star man Xherdan Shaqiri collected Gokhan Inler's pass on the edge of the box before firing a low drive straight at keeper Alexander Dominguez.
The Ecuador shot-stopper didn't look so comfortable, however, two minutes later as he spilled Ricardo Rodriguez's long-range effort out for a corner.
But just as Switzerland felt they had a foothold in the game, they were outdone by Valencia.
Not, the Valencia you may have thought, though.
Enner Valencia, who was inexplicably left unmarked, planted a firm header past Diego Benaglio from Walter Ayovi's brilliant free-kick to put Ecuador ahead and score in his fifth consecutive international match.
The travelling Ecuadorians were in ecstatic.
Hitzfeld, though, was furious with his back-four - namely former Arsenal man Johan Djourou - for their feeble attempt at defending Ayovi's set-piece.
His side's response, though, would have brightened his mood.

Former West Ham midfielder Valon Behrami saw a downward header from Shaqiri's corner well-saved by the Dominguez in the 34th minute before the keeper got the slightest of touches to stop Inler's angled drive.
And two minutes after the break, Switzerland were rewarded for their dogged response as they pulled themselves level.
Admir Mehmedi, on at half-time in place of the ineffective Valentin Stocker, was the hero as he headed home Rodriguez's corner in a goal not too dissimilar to Ecuador's opener.
If Hitzfeld was angry at the way his side defended the set-piece leading to Valencia's opener, then Ecuador boss Reinaldo Rueda knew the feeling given the South American's half-hearted attempts to deal with Rodriguez's corner.
But like his opposite number, Rueda's displeasure would have been tempered by the way his side replied.


Source :-
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/worldcup2014/article-2658468/Switzerland-2-1-Ecuador-Haris-Seferovic-nets-injury-time-winner-World-Cup-Group-E-clash.html

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