A draw would be enough for him to compete in the first quarter -final in its history in one euro. But the Swiss team wants to beat Finland Thursday in Geneva (9 p.m.) on the third day of group A.
In full confidence after their convincing victory obtained against Iceland on Sunday in Bern (2-0), the Swiss are close to achieving what constitutes, paradoxically, as much an almost minimal objective as a historic milestone. The status of seeded reserved for the host country has, in fact, offered Switzerland a significant advantage by allowing it to avoid a European juggernaut in the first round.
An elimination Thursday in the event of a defeat against Finland, an opponent widely within the reach of the players of Pia Sundhage, would therefore be synonymous with disillusionment for a team that has continued to win the sympathy of the Swiss public since the start of the competition.
Watch out for Finland
Admittedly, the second goal scored by Alayah Pilgrim on Sunday at the Wankdorf placed Switzerland in pole position before this real 8th finals, whose winner will face Spain or Italy on Friday July 18 in Bern. But Lia Wälti and his teammates do not intend to take the Finns lightly in front of the French -speaking audience.
‘They have impressed me since the start of the competition’, said the captain of the Swiss team on Sunday evening. ‘It is an incredibly strong team that we did not necessarily have at the eye at the start.’ Tuesday at a press conference, his young teammate Noemi Ivelj followed suit: ‘In my opinion, they have offered better football than Norway and Iceland for the moment.
On Sunday in Sion, he lacked only a suspicion of success in Finland, to whom Norway did the same blow as in the Swiss during the opening match (2-1). Not shot dead by this cruel backhand, the ‘boreal owls’ know that the pressure will rest on the Swiss shoulders Thursday in Geneva.
An unimaginable craze
But since the start of the Euro, Pia Sundhage’s players seem to have made this pressure their best ally. The support of the 30,000 spectators and more present in Basel and Berne is really no stranger to their remarkable energy debauchery. The physical work imposed by the selector during the long preparation of June is bearing fruit.
The 65-year-old Swedish, who saw Euphoric audiences, throughout her career, has confessed her surprise to her team aroused by her team. ‘I would never have imagined seeing Swiss create such an atmosphere, “she said, hilarious, Sunday after the victory against Iceland. ‘I hope we will be entitled to the same support in the third match.’
To pack the public from the Geneva stadium, Switzerland knows that it should not be satisfied with the draw and that it must continue to be both solid and offensive to quickly take shelter. ‘We want to win this match. And I am very confident in our ability to achieve this, assured Sydney Schertenleib on Monday, with the ambition to extend a little more the fever that has taken hold of the country.
/ATS
