Euro 2012 – Switzerland 1 – 3 England – Review
Switzerland get us underway at St. Jakob Park, Milner combines with Defoe down the left wing and looks to set an attack going. Defoe then receives the ball back but loses it to Lichtsteiner in the Swiss right-back position and gives away a needless free-kick, Defoe gets the better of Grichting down the right and lays the ball off to Glen Johnson. The Liverpool full-back floats a right-footed cross into the area but there are no England players there attacking the ball and the move breaks down.
Derdiyok wrestles for the ball down the left wing and attempts to win back possession from Lescott. However, the Man City defender is far too strong for the forward, hold off his challenge and smashes the ball clear. Meanwhile, moments ago Walcott showed a glimpse of that he can do with a short burst forwards down the right but was stopped in his tracks by Grichting.
Jagielka plays a backpass to Joe Hart in the England goal. The ‘keeper is quickly closed down by Derdiyok but seems calm under the situation – despite the Swiss player only being a few of yards away – and coolly smashes the ball downfield, GOAL Wayne Rooney , GOAL!!! ROONEY SCORES FOR ENGLAND!! Walcott shrugs off his marker and lays the ball off to Johnson on the right wing. The full-back is in acres of space and drills the ball across the six-yards box towards Defoe, who fails to connect, before Rooney arrives just in time to stroke the ball home from close range. 1-0 to England! Great start for Capello’s men!
Looks like Walcott picked up an injury during the England goal. The Arsenal winger has had to leave the field after being caught just as Rooney slipped the ball past Benaglio. He may have to go off as well, Walcott, change Theo Walcott – Adam Johnson, unfortunately for England, Walcott has had to be replaced. Goalscorer of the third against Bulgaria Adam Johnson comes on in his place, Ziegler looks to get forward down the left but his pass infield takes a touch off Glen Johnson and rolls out of play for a throw-in. The resulting throw is a complete waste and England regain possession.
Frei rather fortunately sets Derdiyok on his way with a lucky deflection. The Swiss forward looks to latch onto the through ball midway into the England half with only Lescott ahead of him. Derdiyok looks as though he may have enough to catch the centre-back but Joe Hart races out of his goal and fires the ball away, half-chance for Defoe. After a number of passes Glen Johnson lays the ball off to Gerrard to his left around 45 yards out from goal. The England skipper then sweeps a great crossfield ball over to Defoe at the far side of the Switzerland area but his first touch lets him down and the ball trickles out of play. Bit of a waste, Defoe would have had a clean strike on goal had it controlled the pass.
A hopeful ball forward from Switzerland looks set to be easily cleared away by Glen Johnson at right-back but he makes a mess of it and miscues his clearance straight to Derdiyok. He’s been Switzerland most lively player so far but he can’t capitalise and fires the ball into the legs of Jagielka, CHANCE FOR DEFOE! Adam Johnson does brilliantly and skips down the right wing beating his man for pace. He then gets to the edge of the Switzerland area and drills the ball across goal for Defoe, but he fluffs his lines and fires the ball over from close range. A bit of a waste again, but England are creating plenty of chances early on.
Good start from England, but they’ll be disappointed with the injury to Theo Walcott. The Arsenal man was hardly on the pitch for long but showed a sign of the form we’ve seen him produce for his club this season, Defoe cuts inside from the left and links up well with Rooney, laying the ball off to the Manchester United man around 25 yards out. He then continues his run into the area and Rooney chips a great pass over the defence towards the onrushing Spurs striker, but Benaglio comes out of his goal and claims the ball comfortably.
Ashley Cole is left in loads of space on the far side of the Switzerland area and drives the ball across the six-yard line towards Defoe, but he can’t reach it and the ball flies away from goal. Moments later, Milner is left in the same area as Cole and drills the ball across goal, but Defoe can’t get on the end of it again, stat of the day: Switzerland have scored just four goals in their last 10 games. No chances so far for Ottmar Hitzfeld’s side and England are the much better team over the first 30 minutes, creating a number of goalscoring opportunities.
Gerrard is caught in possession on the halfway line by Degen but the ball falls kindly straight to the feet of Lescott who coolly deals with the danger, playing the ball out wide to Ashley Cole. No pressure on Lescott, mainly due to Switzerland’s reluctance to get players forward, Milner breaks forward down the left wing but had nobody in support. He holds up the ball before Schwegler cuts across from central midfield to slide the ball out of play. A number of England passes later, Glen Johnson lays the ball off to his left to Adam Johnson who attempts to grab his second international goal with a left-footed strike from the edge of the area but it sails over the bar.
Lichtesteiner gets forward down the right and is clattered to the ground by Gareth Barry and earn a free-kick in a promising position. Frei’s delivery is headed clear by Jagielka but only as far as Degen at the far post, but he can only miscue his left-footed strike wide of the post, CHANCE FOR DEFOE! Rooney, in possession on the left wing, chips a pass into the chest of Defoe on the edge of the area. The Spurs man can’t initially find space to shoot but manages to create space for a pop at goal before firing a fierce strike straight at Benaglio, and the Swiss ‘keeper only has to fist the ball away.
ANOTHER ENGLAND CHANCE! Adam Johnson does great to cut inside from the left to the edge of the area before slipping a pass into the path of Rooney on the left side of the box. He can’t find space to shoot, but manages to keep the ball in play and chip a delightful cross towards Defoe in the six-yard box. Defoe can’t leap above his man and the Swiss defender is there to header the ball wide for a corner. Two minutes of added time.
HALF-TIME. SWITZERLAND 0-1 ENGLAND. Wayne Rooney’s first international goal in nearly a year separates the two sides at the break. Good ball in from Glen Johnson to create the goal, but it’s Theo Walcott’s injury that will be a concern for England. The winger picked up the injury as Rooney stroked the ball home to put England ahead and has gone to hospital to have an x-ray on his right ankle. Overall, a good display from England so far, but Switzerland really haven’t turned up.
England kick us off for the second half. One change at the break from Switzerland, with Shaqiri coming on for Margairaz on the left, change Xavier Margairaz – Xherdan Shaqiri, ADAM JOHNSON FIRES WIDE! Rooney does well to hold off his marker but is then not closed quick enough by the Swiss defence. The Manchester United forward then clips a wonderful cross to Johnson at the far post and he strikes his left-footed volley into the side-netting. Good effort from the youngster.
Gerrard finds Ashley Cole on the left-hand side of the Switzerland area, and he has his left-footed cross deflected wide by Lichtsteiner. Milner’s right-footed delivery is aimed towards Gerrard but Von Bergen is there to rise above him and header the ball clear, Inler sprays a low right-footed ball over to Frei on the left, only it’s horribly misplaced and straight into the feet of Glen Johnson who easily comes clear with the ball. It’s really not been Switzerland’s night so far, Switzerland finally put a decent move together and find Inler around 25 yards out from goal. The Udinese midfielder is left in a bit of space to have a crack at goal but lashes a left-footed strike well over the bar.
Ashley Cole combines with Rooney before playing the ball out wide to Milner. The England winger then twists and turns his way past Lichtsteiner and floats a left-footed cross into the area to Defoe, who fires over. There was an offside in any case, Stephan Lichtsteiner got a YELLOW CARD, Yellow card for Lichtsteiner. The Swiss full-back rather poorly argues back at the referee and Nicola Rozzoli sees fit to award the first booking of the evening to the Lazio man.
GLEN JOHNSON WITH A STRIKE! The full-back drifts inside from the left and fires a low left-footed strike towards the bottom left-hand corner from the edge of the area. Benaglio does well and dives across to his left before turning the ball round the post, James Milner got a YELLOW CARD, Yellow card for Milner. The England man gets frustrated whilst tracking back and tugs the shirt of Lichtsteiner to pick up his second booking of the qualifying campaign, which means he will be ruled out of England’s next competitive game.
Awkward moment for Hart in the England goal. The ‘keeper looks set to pick the ball out of the air easily but drops it under the challenge of a Swiss player. He then manages to retrieve it after Ashley Cole heads it back into his arms, MORE WORRYING MOMENTS FOR HART! Just a minute after the usually unflappable goalkeeper miscues his clearance out of play for a throw-in, Degen’s inswinging delivery into the area causes havoc and the Man City man flaps the ball away before eventually retrieving it again.
Change David Degen Marco Streller, Stephan Lichtsteiner got a YELLOW CARD, and RED CARD, RED CARD FOR LICHTSTEINER! Milner skips past the Swiss full-back down the left and is caught with a late challenge on his ankle by Lichtsteiner. Definitely a second booking and the Lazio man can have no complaints, in amongst all that chaos with Hart fluffing his lines and Lichtsteiner receiving his marching orders there was a substitution. The big man Marco Streller has come on for Switzerland in the place of David Degen.
GOAL Adam Johnson, GOAL!! ADAM JOHNSON MAKES IT 2-0!! Rooney lays the ball off to Gerrard to his right around 35 yards out. He then slips a great little pass through the Switzerland defence and into the path of Adam Johnson, who beats the offside trap before coolly rounding the goalkeeper and slotting the ball into an empty net left-footed. Two goals in two games now for Johnson, change Darren Bent – Jermain Defoe, GOAL Xherdan Shaqiri , GOAL!! SWITZERLAND ARE BACK IN IT ALREADY!! Xherdan Shaqiri makes a terrific impact and cuts inside from the right before firing a superb left-footed strike into the top left-hand corner from the edge of the area, leaving Joe Hart with no chance. A great hit from the youngster, with his strike moving all over the place. That’s one way to make yourself known!
More drama as a substitution was made moments ago. Defoe has picked up an injury and had to leave the field on a stretcher. Darren Bent comes on in his place and has a great chance to impress in a competitive game for once, Ashley Cole picks up a booking now. The left-back slides in on Shaqiri and wins the ball, but also brings the man to ground down on the Switzerland right wing, Ashley Cole got a YELLOW CARD, the resulting free-kick is cleared by the England defence to Shaqiri on the edge of the area. He then drifts out onto the right wing and curls the ball into the area but Hart is there to leap above Streller and punch the ball away.
Change Wayne Rooney – Shaun Wright-Phillips , final change from Fabio Capello now. Shaun Wright-Phillips has come on for Wayne Rooney. Wright-Phillips will line up on the left wing now, leaving James Milner in the Rooney role to try and support Bent up front, Adam Johnson tries to skip his way infield and looks to jink past Grichting but is caught by the centre-back. The Auxerre man is booked for dissent. Milner then floats a right-footed cross into the area but Lescott is penalised for a push.
Stéphane Grichting got a YELLOW CARD, change Pirmin Schwegler – Moreno Constanzo, Switzerland make their final change. Moreno Costanzo comes on in the place of Pirmin Schwegler in midfield, Ashley Cole bombs forward from left-back and receives a neat little pass from Shaun Wright-Phillips on the left side of the Switzerland area. The Chelsea full-back then drills in a cross looking for Milner but Von Bergen manages to get the ball away, moments after Switzerland have a penalty appeal turned down, Shaun Wright-Phillips beats the offside trap and races clear of his marker on the right side of the Swiss area. He has Bent unmarked waiting in the box but plays a very weak pass to the Sunderland man and Ziegler gets the back to intercept and clear.
GOAL Darren Bent, GOAL!! BENT GRABS HIS FIRST INTERNATIONAL GOAL!! Ashley Cole receives a pass 30 yards out and takes a touch before slipping the ball into the path of Bent just inside the area. The Sunderland striker then coolly fires the ball left-footed into the bottom left-hand corner, beating Benaglio at his near post. Grichting got back to try and cut out the strike but Bent wasn’t put off by him. 3-1 to England!
Three minutes of added time in Switzerland, England are just keeping the ball now, looking to retain possession to avoid a late fightback. Good end to the game for the Three Lions following Shaqiri’s wonder goal, FULL-TIME. SWITZERLAND 1-3 ENGLAND. Wayne Rooney put off-the-field issues behind him early on by opening the scoring for England. Adam Johnson then came on for the injured Theo Walcott to score his second goal in two games with a cool finish, before Switzerland’s substitute Xherdan Shaqiri brought them level with a great strike from the edge of the area. Stephan Lichtsteiner saw red for a second bookable offence before Darren Bent wrapped up the win with a late strike. Good performance from Fabio Capello’s men, but not a good display from Switzerland. Thanks for joining me tonight.
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