The Swiss national team lost 1-3 to Argentina in extra time in the World Cup quarterfinals. Murat Yakin was more than satisfied with the team’s performance against the reigning world champions.
After the game, Murat Yakin stood up for his team and praised them for an outstanding performance: “We were much better than our opponents. In the end, though, that doesn’t get us anywhere. I’m incredibly proud of this team and the coaching staff. Even down to ten men, we kept fighting. It’s a shame that we had to be eliminated this way.” He called the way they dominated the world champions “heroic.”
“We had the momentum on our side and wanted to make an offensive substitution to turn the tide in our favor.” Unsurprisingly, Murat Yakin is no fan of the new rule that led to Breel Embolo’s ejection. He doesn’t know why it was invented, but that’s just the way soccer is: “We were punished.” The decision is incomprehensible to the national team coach.
Akanji Criticizes the Referee
Manuel Akanji also felt Switzerland had the upper hand for a long time: “It’s very difficult. As soon as the final whistle blew, I felt a sense of pride. We played against the reigning world champions, and they didn’t have a single scoring chance from open play. If the game had continued eleven against eleven, anything would have been possible. We were the better team.” For Akanji, it feels like a missed opportunity.
While Akanji holds back on criticizing his own team, another player gets a piece of his mind: “It’s difficult when you have the referee against you. Every little thing was called in Argentina’s favor. I don’t usually say anything about the referee, but I’ve never seen a game officiated so one-sidedly. There wasn’t a single yellow card for any of the Argentines’ dives.” But there’s nothing that can be done about it now.
