Costa Rica has been the same team we saw during the 2014 World Cup. The difference is that results haven’t gone their way this time around. A Kolarov free kick and two stoppage time goals by Coutinho and Neymar is what prevents them from going into the last fixture against Switzerland with two points and a shot at the Round of 16. As things stand, Los Ticos are eliminated. Pride and crashing the Swiss’ dreams gives them something to play for on Wednesday night in Nizhny Novgorod.
The victory over Serbia gives Switzerland the privilege of being able to control its own destiny. A win sees them go through. A convincing win could give them first place in Group E. Xherdan Shaqiri and Granit Xhaka were two of the three best players on the pitch last Friday. The third one was Borussia Dortmund youngster Manuel Akanji. Fabian Schar struggled mightily while trying to guard Mitrovic in the first half, so head coach Vladimir Petkovic made a half-time adjustment. Akanji stayed closer to his defensive partner, helping him out when dealing with Serbia’s No.9 and sometimes even taking him one-on-one. Not only was Akanji successful, but he also cut out Serbia’s through passes on several occasions. Seferovic and Gavranovic have been inefficient as forwards. Breel Embolo is a player that Petkovic should rely on more. The rest of the lineup functions effectively and won’t be tweaked.
There is some controversy surrounding Switzerland’s team following the Serbia win. Both Xhaka and Shaqiri celebrated their goals by gesturing a flying eagle, which is the symbol of Albania’s flag. As you should know by now, Xhaka and Shaqiri, as well as other members of the Swiss national team, have Albanian/Kosovo heritage and they take pride in it. FIFA launched an investigation into their actions:
“The Fifa disciplinary committee has opened disciplinary proceedings against the Swiss players Granit Xhaka and Xherdan Shaqiri for their goal celebration during the match Switzerland vs Serbia.”
The pair is faced with a potential two game-ban. According to Fifa’s disciplinary code:
“anyone who provokes the general public during a match will be suspended for two matches and sanctioned with a minimum fine of 5,000 Swiss francs”.
We’ll see whether FIFA obliges its own law.
Oscar Ramirez is not a manager who surrenders and will have his team ready to play come Wednesday. As a result, we should see another tightly-contested encounter with few, if any goals. The Swiss are the odds-on favorites, but even a draw or a loss could see them qualify, considering Brazil is expected to defeat Serbia. Nevertheless, Petkovic’s men would be wise not to take risks and go for the win.
Odds
Switzerland 1.8
Draw 3.3
Costa Rica 6
