BE starts off the Euro 2008 team analysis by taking a look at how the home team Switzerland are preparing.
Of the four groups for Euro 2008, Group A is perhaps the most well balanced when considering team strengths. It is composed of the last edition’s losing finalists Portugal, co-hosts Switzerland, Turkey and the Czech Republic.
Switzerland
The home side will be kick starting Euro 2008 with their game against the Czech Republic sheduled for 18:00 CET right after a spectacular opening ceremony. Being in charge of hosting the competition, Switzerland has had no qualifying campaigns to play, and this as always can be both an advantage and a disadvantage. The obvious benefit is that of being guaranteed a place among the top European teams taking part in Euro 2008. The downside to this arrangement is an almost two year long span of time deprived of official matches which are obviously more competitive than mere experimental friendlies.
The Manager – Jakob Kuhn
No other coach before him has managed to gain as much success for Switzerland, having taken them to their first World Cup tournament in 2006 and also to Euro 2004. Being a Swiss coach the feats are even more a matter of national pride. Kuhn succeeded where a number of foreign coaches had failed and managed to establish national team of Switzerland as a European football force.
The Swiss tactician will be leaving the post right after Euro 2008 and will be replaced by current Bayern Munich manager Ottmar Hitzfeld who will therefore be in for the tough task of having to emulate Kuhn’s exploits for his home land.
The Squad
Kuhn’s managerial achievements where aided by a team overflowing with young talent. In the last years youth football has been bolstered in Switzerland and the federation is now reaping the fruits of their hard work. Success at the U-17 World Cup a few years ago is no coincidence. The likes of Djourou, Inler, Senderos, Vonlanthen, Behrami and Barnetta make this team one of the youngest at Euro 2008.
The preferred formation adopted by the Swiss is a 4-2-3-1 accommodating both a strong defence and some skillful play on the wings by their playmaking talents Vonlanthen and Barnetta, and the experienced Hakan Yakin.
Prediction
With Switzerland finding themselves in a well balanced group, and having home advantage on their side, I believe they are in for some happy days at this tournament. At least it will be like so in the group phase. From then on it will depend on who they will be facing. The matches that will be taking them to Euro 2008 have not so far registered a positive outcome. Switzerland coach Kuhn was unable to monitor any progress as his side failed to hold on for long against the big guns. However, during the tournament itself it will be down to a lot of psychology from Kuhn’s part who will seek to give his players the nerve to go all the way while keeping their cool.
They have already shown they are able to play solid football which can guarantee qualification in a demanding official tournament when they fought on to top Group G in the 2006 World Cup when, amongst others, they where pitted against France.
In that major tournament two years ago they went out in the round of 16 having played four matches and conceding no goals. They crashed out on penalties against Shevchenko’s Ukraine. The shoot-out sought to evidence their striking problems as they did not even score one of the decisive penalties. Their four goals in the competition had come against Togo and South Korea.
The problems in attack are less of a burden when experienced striker Frei plays upfront. Yet this has not been a constant thus far due to recurring injury problems that have a habit of keeping him out of the big games. Should he be fit they are a tough team to take apart and will go far in this tournament, possibly to the semis.
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