Re-live the Euro 2008 Championship by selecting a match below or visiting the dedicated site Euro2008TV.com for articles, photos, and video highlights of your favorite team.
| #Date | Time (US/Eastern) | Match | Result | Stage | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun-07 | 11:50am | Switzerland - Czech Republic | 0:1 | Group A | Basel |
| Jun-11 | 02:30pm | Switzerland - Turkey | 1:2 | Group A | Basel |
| Jun-15 | 02:30pm | Switzerland - Portugal | 2:0 | Group A | Basel |
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As co-hosts of Euro2008, Switzerland will be eager to improve on their unimaginative outing at World Cup 2006. Though they topped their group in Germany—holding France to a creditable draw in the process—they were accused by the Swiss press of conservative tactics. The second round penalty shoot-out defeat to Ukraine was a damning indictment of Swiss timidity at the tournament. After both sides lumbered to a 0-0 scoreline, Switzerland failed to convert a single penalty and lost 3-0 in the shoot-out.
The whimper with which the Swiss surrendered spoiled all the hard work they had put in prior to the defeat. Had they gone out with all guns blazing, critics would perhaps have been kinder. In front of home support Switzerland may well be more daring. With the paternal Kobi Kuhn still at the helm, Switzerland’s most notable absence will be midfielder Johann Vogel. The former captain fell out of favour with the coach after a very public row, in which both men accused each other for Switzerland’s friendly defeats to Austria, Brazil, and Germany. Kuhn wielded the axe and Borussia Dortmund striker Alexander Frei took over the captain’s armband. Whatever the reasons for Swiss ineptitude, coach Kuhn will have a lot of work to do. His team lost five out of ten friendlies in 2007—hardly encouraging preparation for Euro2008. Placed in an imposing group that contains the Czech Republic, Turkey, and Portugal, Switzerland will need all of their famed organization and more spark up front to negotiate their way through Group A.
Article by Hasan Saiyid