FOOTBALL Live

Wednesday June 16, 2010 Group Stage: Group H Finished Moses Mabhida Stadium

  1. Switzerland stun Spain

    Switzerland stun Spain

    Switzerland caused the biggest shock of the World Cup so far with a 1-0 win over pre-tournament favourites Spain in Group H in Durban. More

  • Live Commentary

    Time:90'
    • Spain
    • Switzerland
    • 90+6' FULL-TIME! Switzerland cause the biggest shock of the World Cup to date with a stunning 1-0 upset of pre-tournament favourites Spain in Durban.
    • 90+6' Xavi's volley is over the top and surely that's it.
    • 90+6' Navas' cross deflected for a corner - one last chance for Spain.
    • 90+5' Yakan booked for handling Capdevila's cross.
    • 90+4' Benaglio strong once more to punch a Xabi free-kick clear through a crowd of players.
    • 90+3' Barnetta replaced by Mario Eggiman.
    • 90+2' Yellow card for Benaglio for time wasting.
    • 90+1' Spain force another corner but volleyed out by Pedro.
    • 90' Five minutes of added time.
    • 89' Villa brilliantly through to Torres with the chest pass but haplessly overrun by the Liverpool striker who looks a little rusty.
    • 88' Torres puts his volley way over the crossbar.
    • 87' Torres' shot is blocked and then Pedro can't squirm a way through.
    • 86' Navas' rifled cross into the safe hands of Benaglio.
    • 85' Villa's header across goal for Torres but clever defending from Grichting who just eases his man off the ball in the six-yard box.
    • 84' Nkufo penalised for a foul on Xabi but the delivery from the former Liverpool man is poor.
    • 83' The Swiss force a corner to relieve the pressure but Pique clears.
    • 82' Spain pushing men forward and Barnetta almost makes them pay on the break but his 20-yard effort is just over the top.
    • 81' Pedro finds Navas on the other flank but Lichtsteiner cuts out the cross.
    • 80' Spain have won their last 12 matches and are on the longest running winning streak in international football. It is in real danger.
    • 79' Derdiyok replaced by Hakan Yakin.
    • 78' A cracking drive from Navas flashes wide.
    • 77' Final change for Spain as Pedro replaces Iniesta who has taken a knock.
    • 76' It could have been 2-0 to Switzerland! Neat combination between Nkufo and Derdiyok who does superbly to check inside both Pique and Puyol but his poke towards goal comes back off the post!
    • 75' Ziegler is being run ragged by Navas and is booked for tugging back the Sevilla winger.
    • 74' Spain now lying siege to the Swiss goal and Navas takes advantage of hesitant defending from Ziegler but his shot is straight at Benaglio.
    • 73' What a strike! The corner is pulled back to Xabi Alonso who unleashes a thunderbolt against the crossbar. The woodwork is probably still rattling!
    • 72' Torres springs the offside trap but his poke goalwards is pushed behind by Benaglio.
    • 71' The Swiss should have a corner as Nkufo's header comes off Puyol.
    • 70' Torres forced wide by Grichting after Navas' centre was just behind him and the Liverpool man tries to bend one into the top corner but high and wide.
    • 69' Switzerland have kept four successive clean sheets in the finals. If they keep a clean sheet today they will equal Italy’s all-time World Cup record of five in a row, set in 1990.
    • 68' Match Image Gelson Fernandes scores
    • 67' Torres gets across Grichting and his header flicks off the Swiss for another corner.
    • 66' The shot count: Spain 14 Switzerland 2.
    • 65' So close from Iniesta who curls a 20-yarder a fraction wide of the far post.
    • 64' Torres will go up top with Villa and Xavi will drop back alongside Xabi in a traditional 4-4-2.
    • 63' A double change for Spain. Torres on for Busquets and Jesus Navas replaces Silva.
    • 62' Brave keeping from Benaglio who races off his line to save at the feet of Villa.
    • 61' Ramos' header is onto the roof of the net from 16 yards.
    • 60' Ramos twists and turns on the right but Lichtsteiner heads clear. However the ball comes back to the full-back who earns a corner.
    • 59' Lichtsteiner puts a cross from the right behind for a corner.
    • 58' Iniesta pulls back to Villa but his shot is straight at Benaglio.
    • 57' A break from Lichtsteiner but his low cross is claimed by Casillas, a sliding Pique facing his own goal could have spelt further disaster for Spain if he had made contact.
    • 56' They have won 34 and drawn three since losing against Romania in November 2006.
    • 55' Spain are on a 37-match unbeaten streak against European opposition but are in trouble!
    • 54' Benaglio plucks a cross from the right out of the air.
    • 53' GOAL SWITZERLAND!! Unbelievable! With their first effort from open play, the Swiss lead through Gelson Fernandes. Spain fail to deal with a long goal kick and Iker Casillas comes flying off his line to deny Eren Derdiyok but the ball falls to the former Manchester City and Everton midfielder who taps into the open goal from close range. A real messy affair but the Swiss are delirious.
    • 52' Puyol heads back to Silva on the edge of the penalty area but the Valencia man makes a complete hash of his shot.
    • 51' Benaglio defies a kung-fu attack from Ramos to palm behind for another corner.
    • 50' Iniesta's cross is only cleared as far as Xabi whose curler destined for the top-corner flicks off the head of Grichting and behind for another corner.
    • 49' Capdevila forces another corner but Silva turns into Inler who clears.
    • 48' The corner is pulled back to Xabi but the strike is way over the crossbar.
    • 47' Great ball from Xabi out wide and Silva forces an early corner.
    • 46' We are back underway after for the ninth time in 16 matches, we saw a goalless first-half.
    • - Today's Venn answer is that the England players we showed youwere Peter Beardsley, Terry Fenwick, Steve Hodge and Terry Butcher. And the link between them? They are the four players that Diego Maradona beat while scoring the greatest ever goal in World Cup history during the Argentina-England quarter-final at Mexico ’86.
    • - International Press Review - check out the headlines and stories from around the globe + World Cup Gallery - all the best pictures from the tournament + World Cup Venn - can you work out what links the men in the pictures. Every morning in the World of Sport blog
    • - The ticker is the definitive one-stop shop for everything that is going on in South Africa. Don't miss anything with links to more than 100 stories from 7am to 11pm every day. LIVE ticker
    • - During half-time, a little reminder of all our special content we are running during the World Cup. Arsene Wenger, Paul Parker, Jim White, the Armchair Pundit and Early Boers - direct from South Africa - will be blogging throughout the tournament. Plus regular opinion from Eurosport's Soccer Live panel - Roger Milla, Giovane Elber, Patrick Kluivert and more. View all bloggers
    • 45+1' Villa goes down theatrically in the area. Webb having nothing to do with that and that's half-time. Eight shots to one for Spain but no goals yet.
    • 45' Villa in space down the left channel, he cuts back inside the sliding defender Grichting but his attempted chip is wide of the far post. Decent chance.
    • 44' Match Image Pique's shot is saved
    • 43' The ball breaks wide to Iniesta on the left-hand side of the penalty area but he fails to work the keeper from 20 yards.
    • 42' The last time Spain played a World Cup as European Champions the team did not make it through the group stage.
    • 41' Silva's cross is headed away by Grichting and Xabi following-up can't direct his effort on target.
    • 40' Blaise Nkufo's header across goal is only half cleared but Inler can't find a team-mate with his attempted dink.
    • 39' Barnetta's cross is deflected by Carles Puyol for a second Swiss corner.
    • 38' For all Spain's precise one-touch football, clear-cut chances have been few and far between.
    • 37' Silva's cut back is blocked by Grichting - a second Spanish corner.
    • 36' Senderos has to leave the field with the injury picked up whilst kicking his own player, Stephan Lichtsteiner. Steve Von Bergen comes on.
    • 35' A cross from the left finds Villa at the far post but his header is blocked.
    • 34' Switzerland have not won a World Cup opener since 1954, when they beat Italy 2-1. No nation that ever won its opening match has had to wait longer for its next success than Switzerland.
    • 33' Xavi swings a free-kick into the penalty area but Pique is outnumbered in the box by a host of Swiss shirts.
    • 32' The free-kick is in the D, and Villa's blast deflects off the wall for a corner.
    • 31' Iniesta runs from deep through the heart of the Swiss defence, checks back and is dragged back by Grichting who is cautioned.
    • 30' Match Image Silva challenge Grichting
    • 29' Senderos is having treatment on his calf.
    • 28' They are also on a seven-match winning streak in the group stage. This is the second best ever streak in World Cup history.
    • 27' Spain have won 27 of their last 28 international matches. Their only defeat in the last 48 was 2-0 against USA in the 2009 Confederations Cup.
    • 26' Reto Ziegler with the free-kick and it forces Iker Casillas to get down low to his left to make the save.
    • 25' Free-kick in a dangerous area for the Swiss. Xavi is penalised on the edge of the penalty area for high feet
    • 24' Best chance so far. Iniesta with the cutting pass and it's great feet from Pique, who cuts inside Senderos, but Benaglio comes off his line and makes himself big to smother the close-range shot.
    • 23' New Fulham man Senderos, who has a Spanish father, goes through the back of Xavi but again Spain play a free-kick from 40 yards short rather than put an aerial ball into the area.
    • 22' Iniesta's drive from 25 yards is deflected off Gelson Fernandes and into the arms of Benaglio.
    • 21' Sepp Blatter at the stadium to watch his compatriots.
    • 20' This is Spain’s 13th World Cup appearance. Their best result is finishing fourth in 1950.
    • 19' The game resembles a training session - forward against defence.
    • 18' Sergio Ramos gets forward from right-back and cuts inside Barnetta but screws his shot wide of the near post.
    • 17' Silva pulls away from his man but his diagonal drive is straight at Benaglio. The first shot of the match.
    • 16' The Swiss playing with two banks of four and will look for scraps on the break. They need to keep their discipline.
    • 15' Silva looks at the referee after Senderos has a little nibble at his ankles - easily could have been a penalty.
    • 14' Inler upends Busquets but Spain eschew the chance of putting the ball into the area.
    • 13' Villa's knock down to Xavi but the Barcelona schemer has strayed offside.
    • 12' Capdevila's cut back from the by-line is intercepted by Benjamin Huggel.
    • 11' Spain break but Diego Benaglio dives at the feet of David Villa.
    • 10' Tranquillo Barnetta 's delivery is headed away by Xabi Alonso at the near post.
    • 9' Switzerland force the first corner of the match.
    • 8' Andres Iniesta bursts into the penalty area but Grichting is there to tidy up.
    • 7' Gokhan Inler barges into the back of Xavi, who is playing just off Villa. The Swiss chasing shadows already.
    • 6' Andres Iniesta on the left and David Silva on the right for Spain who are stretching the game.
    • 5' But Philippe Senderos heads clear.
    • 4' Stephane Grichting brings down Sergio Busquets and that's an early free-kick in a dangerous area.
    • 3' Joan Capdevila's cross from the left is too long for any of his colleagues.
    • 2' Typical short passing from Spain in the opening minutes.
    • 1' And we are underway as the final two teams start their World Cup campaigns.
    • 14:55 A bright day in Durban as the teams come out for the anthems.
    • 14:50 This match will feature two of the five coaches to have won the Champions League twice: Switzerland’s Ottmar Hitzfeld and Spain’s Vicente Del Bosque.
    • 14:45 Switzerland will run into Spain for the third time in the World Cup. The only other country they have met three times in the competition is Italy.
    • 14:40 These teams will meet for the third time at a World Cup Finals. Spain won on both previous occasions – 2-1 a group match in 1966 and 3-0 in the second round in 1994. The match in 1994 was also Switzerland’s last World Cup defeat and the last time they conceded a goal.
    • 14:35 Spain and Switzerland have met 18 times in international football. Spain have won 15, Switzerland none and there have been three draws.
    • 14:30 Florentin reckons Spain will prevail 4-1 with a brace from Torres (who is a sub, don't forget!), and goals from Villa and Fabregas., while Frans, Gunners and Wan think it will be 4-0. What do you think? Post your predictions below!
    • 14:25 The referee for this afternoon's clash is England's Howard Webb.
    • 14:20 Switzerland coach Ottmar Hitzfeld, who was without his injured captain and leading scorer Alex Frei, selected Eren Derdiyok to replace him in attack alongside Blaise Nkufo.
    • 14:15 Andres Iniesta was included in the starting team after recovering from a thigh strain and he will take his place on the the left side of a five-man midfield.
    • 14:10 Spain striker Fernando Torres was left out of the Spain starting line-up. The Liverpool forward was declared fit after recovering from knee surgery but coach Vicente del Bosque has opted to start the match with David Villa playing as a lone forward and Torres on the bench.
    • 14:05 Teams - Spain: 1-Iker Casillas; 15-Sergio Ramos, 3-Gerard Pique, 5-Carles Puyol, 11-Joan Capdevila; 21-David Silva, 14-Xabi Alonso, 8-Xavi, 16-Sergio Busquets, 6-Andres Iniesta, 7-David Villa. /// Switzerland: 1-Diego Benaglio; 13-Stephane Grichting, 2-Stephan Lichtsteiner, 4-Philippe Senderos, 17-Reto Ziegler; 7-Tranquillo Barnetta, 8-Gokhan Inler, 6-Benjamin Huggel, 16-Gelson Fernandes; 19-Eren Derdiyok, 10-Blaise Nkufo.
    • 14:00 European champions Spain get their World Cup campaign underway against Switzerland in the Group H encounter in Durban.
  • Summary

    • 89' Villa brilliantly through to Torres with the chest pass but haplessly overrun by the Liverpool striker who looks a little rusty.
    • 82' Spain pushing men forward and Barnetta almost makes them pay on the break but his 20-yard effort is just over the top.
    • 78' A cracking drive from Navas flashes wide.
    • 76' It could have been 2-0 to Switzerland! Neat combination between Nkufo and Derdiyok who does superbly to check inside both Pique and Puyol but his poke towards goal comes back off the post!
    • 74' Spain now lying siege to the Swiss goal and Navas takes advantage of hesitant defending from Ziegler but his shot is straight at Benaglio.
    • 73' What a strike! The corner is pulled back to Xabi Alonso who unleashes a thunderbolt against the crossbar. The woodwork is probably still rattling!
    • 72' Torres springs the offside trap but his poke goalwards is pushed behind by Benaglio.
    • 70' Torres forced wide by Grichting after Navas' centre was just behind him and the Liverpool man tries to bend one into the top corner but high and wide.
    • 65' So close from Iniesta who curls a 20-yarder a fraction wide of the far post.
    • 62' Brave keeping from Benaglio who races off his line to save at the feet of Villa.
    • 61' Ramos' header is onto the roof of the net from 16 yards.
    • 58' Iniesta pulls back to Villa but his shot is straight at Benaglio.
    • 53' GOAL SWITZERLAND!! Unbelievable! With their first effort from open play, the Swiss lead through Gelson Fernandes. Spain fail to deal with a long goal kick and Iker Casillas comes flying off his line to deny Eren Derdiyok but the ball falls to the former Manchester City and Everton midfielder who taps into the open goal from close range. A real messy affair but the Swiss are delirious.
    • 50' Iniesta's cross is only cleared as far as Xabi whose curler destined for the top-corner flicks off the head of Grichting and behind for another corner.
    • 45' Villa in space down the left channel, he cuts back inside the sliding defender Grichting but his attempted chip is wide of the far post. Decent chance.
    • 32' The free-kick is in the D, and Villa's blast deflects off the wall for a corner.
    • 26' Reto Ziegler with the free-kick and it forces Iker Casillas to get down low to his left to make the save.
    • 24' Best chance so far. Iniesta with the cutting pass and it's great feet from Pique, who cuts inside Senderos, but Benaglio comes off his line and makes himself big to smother the close-range shot.
    • 17' Silva pulls away from his man but his diagonal drive is straight at Benaglio. The first shot of the match.
    • 15' Silva looks at the referee after Senderos has a little nibble at his ankles - easily could have been a penalty.

Team lineup & ratings

  • Lineup

    Live Team Line-Up

    • Starting line-up

      • I. Casillas
      • S. Ramos
      • G. Piqué
      • C. Puyol
      • J. Capdevila
      • X. Alonso
      • S. Busquets Substitution Out (61′)
      • D. Silva Substitution Out (62′)
      • Xavi
      • A. Iniesta Substitution Out (77′)
      • D. Villa

      Subs

      • C. Marchena
      • J. Reina
      • F. Torres Substitution In61′
      • C. Fábregas
      • J. Navas Substitution In62′
      • R. Albiol
      • F. Llorente
      • Víctor Valdés
      • &. Arbeloa
      • J. Martínez
      • J. Mata
      • Pedro Substitution In77′
    • Starting line-up

      • D. Benaglio Yellow Card
      • S. Lichtsteiner
      • P. Senderos Substitution Out (36′)
      • S. Grichting Yellow Card
      • R. Ziegler Yellow Card
      • G. Inler
      • B. Huggel
      • T. Barnetta Substitution Out (90′)
      • G. Fernandes Goal
      • E. Derdiyok Substitution Out (79′)
      • B. Nkufo

      Subs

      • A. Frei
      • L. Magnin
      • H. Yakin Substitution In79′ Yellow Card
      • M. Padalino
      • M. Eggimann Substitution In90′
      • V. Behrami
      • M. Wölfli
      • P. Schwegler
      • S. Von Bergen Substitution In36′
      • J. Leoni
      • A. Bunjaku
      • X. Shaqiri
  • Rate Players

    Rate Players

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    • Player Y! Users Expert My Rating
      Goalkeeper
      - -
      Defenders
      - -
      - -
      - -
      - -
      Midfielders
      - -
      Substitution Out61′ - -
      Substitution Out62′ - -
      - -
      Substitution Out77′ - -
      Strikers
      - -
      Subs
      Substitution In61′ - -
      Substitution In62′ - -
      Substitution In77′ - -
    • Player Y! Users Expert My Rating
      Goalkeeper
      Yellow Card - -
      Defenders
      - -
      Substitution Out36′ - -
      Yellow Card - -
      Yellow Card - -
      Midfielders
      - -
      - -
      Substitution Out90′ - -
      Goal - -
      Strikers
      Substitution Out79′ - -
      - -
      Subs
      Substitution In79′ Yellow Card - -
      Substitution In90′ - -
      Substitution In36′ - -

Comment 248 - 267 of 267

Sort comments by: Most recent | Most rated
  1. Spanish Looser mother Fokers :) have it

    From Sean, on Tue 7 Sep 18:21
  2. POLAND ARE TE SHITEST FOOTBAL TEAM(THESE DAYS)

    From krisbadman, on Wed 23 Jun 19:14
  3. The type of game that the Swiss played was a visual­ affront.and was reminiscent of the type of display that­ could be seen in the old third divisions, back in the­ sixties. Kick and rush reigned with the occasional long­ ball down the middle. Some of the Swiss tackling was­ reprehensible a couple of which would not have been out­ of place in the wrestling ring all unpunished by the­ comedian with the whistle! Spain were too compalcent by­ far and although they had ninety per cent of possession­ they did not capitalise. Pretty to watch but it is­ goals that count. With Fabregas and his flair they may­ well have won handsomely. He must play in the nex­ match.

    From ALFRED, on Thu 17 Jun 22:19
  4. My mother is spanish and my father english!! Go Spain­ and England!!

    From TITIX, on Thu 17 Jun 20:04
  5. I respect the two coaches alot........but i think what­ made spain to mess up was that they were thinking that­ the swiss where not their march.....but forgotten that­ they have a very tatician as a Manager Ottmar­ Hitzfeld........who the boys listen to while the­ spainish thought that they are play la liga...spain you­ broke my heart.

    From Tayo A, on Thu 17 Jun 19:13
  6. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Fok u Spain you Looser Mother Foker

    From Sean, on Thu 17 Jun 18:34
  7. "Wir müssen zufrieden sein dass wir gewonnen­ haben!"
    (john slettvoll, after an unforeseeable­ away win the Lugano Hockey Club clinched some 20 years­ ago in the European Cup against strong favorites­ Eisbären Berlin).

    From Kytos, on Thu 17 Jun 18:32
  8. Overated Espana

    From Bonita, on Thu 17 Jun 18:10
  9. Hey wait a minute!! i dont think Spain played that­ badly yesterday and i dont want to underestimate the­ Swiss win but besides the world class run by Derdiyok,­ who hit the post and the rediculous goal they scored,­ they were like last standing men in front of their own­ goal. It reminds me of Greece Euro 2004. I am sure that­ Switzerland will hava a lot of difficulty playing­ against Honduras and they are gonna draw. In the name­ of beautiful soccer i wish Chile and Spain to go­ through!!

    From Delyan, on Thu 17 Jun 17:13
  10. spain faced badluck yesterday they acquired the ball­ almost all the time and lost a lot of chances to score­ but they were also arrogant as they beleived that they­ will win any time in the match,but my openion is that­ they took a harsh lesson not to underestimate any team­ and that this first unexpected slap could lead them to­ the final.

    From Ehab, on Thu 17 Jun 16:55
  11. I'm suprised to see 5 minutes extra time given in­ the second half. I can't see any injured player­ during the match.

    From arteyu, on Thu 17 Jun 16:25
  12. Now they will realize that without Marcus Senna they­ are going to eat dust at this tournament!!1

    From Richie, on Thu 17 Jun 16:00
  13. Nacho Novo would get his game for Spain haha!

    From Craig, on Thu 17 Jun 15:01
  14. Have you people forgotten that switzerland is the­ reigning under 17 world cup champion that was hosted­ in Nigeria earlier this year? write them in your own­ peril.

    From Kingsely, on Thu 17 Jun 14:40
  15. Spain had no hsitory in world cups, that's why that­ will not show anything in this tournament even if they­ reach final they will not win, world cups are based on­ history and the team who has the ability to win must­ have a background, experience of world cups adn­ historical personality

    From , on Thu 17 Jun 14:39
  16. Just laughing me nob of here, all those donkey riding­ wine swigging omelet munching Spaniards who said 4-0.­ 4-0 haha lol.

    From Joey, on Thu 17 Jun 13:13
  17. i'm suprised they didint put­ fabregas..seriusly..pedro over fabregas?? barca biased­ teammm!!

    From Cesc Rule, on Thu 17 Jun 12:23
  18. the soccer ball was made from Germany,i think the­ Germans will be knocked out in the quarter finals

    From Dada, on Thu 17 Jun 11:45
  19. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Lone striker for Spain in first half is completely­ useless as the Swiss is playing defensively
    Good luck­ to Spain as if they be 1st in this group and i think­ they will face Brazil in the second round but they will­ win all of the matches proceed to the final and win the­ FIFA WORLD CUP 2010

    From Dada, on Thu 17 Jun 11:42
  20. Navas shouldn't be better than Torres, the reason­ he got many balls was just Xavi made passes all to him.­ After all,his assists were all denied by Swiss­ defenders

    From Lukas, on Thu 17 Jun 9:27
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