Dave’s Dribble: Swiss roll through to knockout stage

Although with one ear on the other Group E match being played simultaneously, Switzerland wanted their fate to be in their own hands and came out determined to beat bottom dwellers Costa Rica.

Switzerland duly made it through to the knockout stages by virtue of their 2-2 draw but will not be happy with their scrappy performance.

The Swiss were made to work for their win, having twice been saved by the woodwork early on.

But they smuggled a goal with their first shot of the game in the 31st minute.

Stoke City’s Xherdan Shaqiri – one of my five-star players of this tournament – did the hard yards on the right and crossed to Breel Embolo who in turn headed it back across goal, allowing Blerim Dzemaili to smash it home from distance beyond a despairing Keylor Navas (1-0).

Costa Rica drew level 1-1 through a rock-hard Kendall Waston header from a cross and looked capable of spoiling the Swiss’ party.

But Switzerland remained workmanlike and a 77th minute Breel Embolo cross that found Josip Drmic’s head rattled the bar rather than the back of the net.

However, Drmic was not to be denied and struck the shot of the match in the 88th minute – a fierce drive from the edge of the box for 2-1 Switzerland.

Barely a minute later Costa Rica were given a dubious penalty by referee Clement Turpin of France but VAR ruled it offside.

They did press again and were rewarded with the 2-2 equaliser in added time, after Yann Sommer faced a debatable Ruiz penalty that hit the crossbar and bounced off his back and into the goals – a very unkind own goal.

Switzerland through, Costa Rica not disgraced by any means.