Telex: Switzerland played their group match against Qatar to a draw

Switzerland played a substandard game in a 1-1 draw with Qatar in Saturday’s group match of the North American Soccer World Cup. Canada and Bosnia-Herzegovina in the other match of Group AB a day earlier He played a 1-1 drawso now the situation is that all four teams in the group are first and last in the group at the same time.

A cloudless blue sky and great heat greeted the teams and fans arriving at the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium in Santa Clara. Speaking of fans: the Qatari state financed the travel of a thousand fans, many of whom enthusiastically cheered throughout the match. In the 2nd minute, Qatari Edmilson Junior was in a position, he was unlucky with a ball in front of the Swiss defense, but his flat shot was easily saved by Gregor Kobel. We had to wait until the sixth minute for the first Swiss shot on goal, it was a set piece, but Ndoye’s powerful shot was blocked by the Qatari goalkeeper, Mahmúd Ábunada. Switzerland’s chances came one after the other, but the Qatari defense, or at least Ábunada, was in place.

In the 13th minute, after a pass from Switzerland, Ábunada knocked down Remo Freuler, who was trying to score, after which the goalkeeper lay motionless on the lawn. During the treatment, they simultaneously examined whether there was an offside or whether there was a penalty for the goalkeeper’s movement. In the end, 11 was awarded, which Breel Embolo sewed relatively flat into the left side of the goal. After the goal, the Swiss dominated with many chances, only in the 42nd minute was there a more dangerous Edmilson situation.

In the second half, Granit Xhaka, the captain of the team, unleashed a long-range shot, which the Qatari goalkeeper pushed over the goal. The next ten minutes were characterized by more or less Swiss situations and barren superiority, Qatar only managed to reach the Swiss goal with a pointer. Murat Yakin’s team, on the other hand, hardly hit the goal, and if they did, Ábunada was in his place the whole time. One of the rare Qatari chances was seen in the 89th minute when Ahmed Alaa unleashed a curling flat shot that Kobel comfortably collected.

The total shock came in extra time: Qatar equalized out of nowhere. Buálem Húhi of Qatar sent the ball in from the left and nodded past his defender into the Swiss goal. The equalization was a big slap in the face for Switzerland, who were regularly fending off their attacks, but they couldn’t wake up enough to regain the lead. What remained was the surprise draw and the triumph of bunker football – the summary can be viewed here.