Switzerland Make Their Point Against Costa Rica

Switzerland needed a point from their final Group E game to make sure of a place in the Round of 16 at the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia, and they got it with a 2-2 draw against Costa Rica. Though Los Ticos were already out of the competition, they at least had the consolation of scoring their first goals of the competition and collecting their first points.

The Central Americans made an enterprising start as they sought to atone for their two earlier defeats. Determined not to leave Russia as the only goalless side in the tournament, they struck the woodwork twice in the opening ten minutes.
As in their two previous games, the Swiss were slow out of the blocks, but eventually managed to stem the Tico tide before taking the lead on 31 minutes, with Stephan Lichtsteiner crossing into the box and Blerim Dzemaili lashing home a loose ball.

Die Nati struggled for inspiration after the break, their midfield short on ideas and their incursions into the opposition box proving all too rare. Finding themselves still in the game, Costa Rica levelled through a fine Kendall Waston header. Though the Swiss regained the lead late on, the Costa Ricans levelled in stoppage time, when a Bryan Ruiz penalty cannoned off the bar, onto to keeper Yann Sommer’s head, and into the back of the net.

Team reporter analysis
Though a draw was not a bad result for the Swiss, the performance left something to be desired, as Vladimir Petkovic’s side failed to click. Lacking in ideas at the start of the game and seemingly unsure of themselves, they then struggled to recover from Costa Rica’s first equaliser. Sweden will pose a significant challenge for the Swiss in the Round of 16, a match Die Nati will go into without Lichtsteiner and Fabian Schar, who both picked up suspensions today.

Costa Rica showed that they can compete at this level. Los Ticos sharpened their finishing in the second half and came away with a deserved draw. Committed and tactically astute in all three of their matches at Russia 2018, the Costa Ricans had to wait until their final outing before creating chances and getting in among the goals. They exit the tournament feeling they could perhaps have done more.

Budweiser Man of the Match
Blerim Dzemaili had no luck in front of goal in Switzerland’s opening two matches, but all that changed on Wednesday evening, when he opened his account for the tournament and came close to adding another. With his attacking team-mates having a quieter game than usual, Dzemaili’s sharpness was the most positive aspect of the game for the Swiss.

The stat
426 – It was a Kendall Waston header against Honduras that took Costa Rica to Russia and it was another of his headers that gave them their first goal of the tournament. It was also their first strike in 426 minutes of World Cup football, since Bryan Ruiz found the back of the net against Greece at Brazil 2014.

What’s next
Sweden-Switzerland, 3 July, Saint Petersburg
Costa Rica are out of the competition