Dave’s Dribble: Solid Sweden outsmart the Swiss

Sweden took their chances and Switzerland didn’t; so the Swedes progress to the quarters and the Swiss roll back home after the 1-0 result.

Most of the pre-match talk was about Andreas Granqvist, whose wife was due to give birth some time during the game; he would have to wait to check the replay.

But after the match all the conversation centred on the deflected shot from Emil Forsberg that gave the better team on the day the correct outcome.

Yes, Switzerland did enjoy the bulk of possession, including almost a dozen corners, but the Swedes’ defence was always in the way.

There was little to enthuse about in the first half for either the fans of Switzerland’s Red Crusaders not the ssons (excuse the pun) and daughters of Sweden.

After the Belgium vs Japan heavyweight clash the game before, this was like watching the featherweights in action.

There were few clear cut chances, mostly from the Swedish attackers.

Swiss keeper Yann Sommer got his fingertips to a Marcus Berg that was destined for glory in the 27th minute.

Ten minutes later, at the other end, the ball was cut back to Blerim Dzemaili inside the box but he blazed it over.

The last good attempt came in the 40th minute when a perfect Mikael Lustig cross found Albin Ekdal but he had left his vertical path finder at home and from six metres his first time strike didn’t trouble Sommer.

Sweden had won the half on points, but only just.

Swiss on a mission

After Ola Toivonen blasted over for Sweden, the Swiss went on the rampage, winning four consecutive corners.

But the stalemate continued until the 66th minute when Forsberg’s well struck, goal-bound strike deflected off Manuel Akanji (1-0).

But the Swiss were now on a mission. Either they score or they leave Russia with ‘love’, as they say in tennis.

Their 10th corner almost ended in a goal but Andreas Granqvist – the Rock of Sweden and best defender of the tournament – cleared the danger.

Shot after shot rained in, and as usual Xherdan Shaqiri was at the heart of the Swiss attacks.

But the Stoke City man is the most one-footed player since Long John Silver and couldn’t seem to get anything ‘right’ on the day.

Haris Seferovic saw his fine header smothered at his feet by Olsen in added time but, as so often happens, a breakaway counter saw Martin Olsson of Swansea set free and bearing down on a probable goal had it not been for a shove in his back by Michael Lang.

Lang was shown red and VAR showed the offence to have been committed just outside the box.

Toivonon took the free kick. It missed, but it didn’t matter.

The ref blew full time and Sweden are through to the quarter finals.