Switzerland wants to make their stay in beautiful Brazil longer but favorite Argentina intends to send them home and give them some goals to deposit safely in Swiss Black Bank what they call.
Argentina has relied heavily on their No 10’s talents – he has scored four of the team’s six goals in three narrow wins. None of their victories have been particularly comfortable, and only an injury-time winner from Messi ensured the three points against Iran.
Argentina will be missing the injured Manchester City forward Sergio Aguero. Ezequiel Lavezzi is set to take his place in a continued three-man attack also comprising Messi and Gonzalo Higuain of Napoli.
If Argentina has Messi Switzerland has also one player named Xherdan Shaqiri though not of same class but nevertheless utility player functional in the current tournament Shaqiri is the same height as Messi and has a similarly low center of gravity and, while he has some way to go to match the feats of the prolific Argentina forward, the 22-year-old playmaker gives Switzerland a genuine threat up front.
The Switzerland’s German coach, Ottmar Hitzfeld is optimistic of his team turning the table on tournament favorites by remaining organized. If that happens, Switzerland will make their first quarter-final appearance since they hosted the finals 60 years ago. The Swiss have never beaten Argentina, drawing two games and losing four.
Switzerland expects that the large Brazilian contingent expected in the crowd at the Corinthians arena in Sao Paulo will be backing them against the hosts’ arch-rivals Argentina.
While Argentina’s defense will look to shackle Shaqiri, Switzerland’s back line has an arguably tougher task in shutting out an inspired Messi.
The 27-year-old, whose stuttering international career before this World Cup was the only blip in an otherwise stellar career, has set about putting that right with four goals in Brazil so far. He also scored his first international hat-trick the last time Argentina and Switzerland met, in a friendly in 2012.
Switzerland as well as any other team is fully aware that it is almost impossible to completely shut out the door to Magical Messi at his careers high noon. Switzerland will definitely leave nothing unturned to neutralize his influence as much as possible. One of the important matter may be avoid conceding free kick anywhere around own danger zone . Messi can deliver killing blows from set piece. But how long can Switzerland starve the little genius?
Switzerland must not also sit deep. They must try and exploit the weakness of Argentine defense using their own “Poor Man’s Messi” Xherdan Shaqiri. They should also remain alert against conceding early goal.
This world cup has so far is a showcase of underdogs making superior teams toil and sweat. Argentina may not expect anything different. They have to put a price on their way to qualify for quarter final where they will meet the winner of Belgium and USA.
While for the commercial interest of the World Cup it will be better that Argentina wins and one by one hurdle over other barriers for a dream final against Brazil but a possible upset cannot also be ruled out.
We predict a close day and Switzerland may strike surprise.
BDST: 2121 HRS, JULY 01, 2014
