The start may have been a bit lackluster, but as the tournament gained momentum on the fields of the U.S., Mexico, and Canada, Switzerland and Colombia made sure to showcase their best qualities on the field.
And those two teams face off tonight (11:00 p.m.) in the World Cup Round of 16, with a spot in the tournament’s quarterfinals on the line.
The Swiss may have gotten off to a rocky start with a draw against Qatar—paying the price for their many lapses—but they haven’t looked back since. And they’re looking for their fourth straight win against the “Cafeteros,” who have five wins and one draw in their last six games and are looking to cause trouble for the Europeans…
In fact, Nestor Lorenzo’s team drew 0-0 against Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal in the group stage, and of course that’s seen as a very positive result.
The Swiss have managed to overcome the hurdles posed by Bosnia, Canada, and Algeria following their 1-1 draw with Qatar, and Murat Yakin’s players are looking to build confidence and try once again to get off to a explosive start.
Of course, they’ll be facing a team that has kept clean sheets in its last three games, following a 3-1 win over Uzbekistan in their World Cup opener.
With Embiid’s status in doubt, Chaka and Freuler will once again anchor Switzerland’s midfield, while the South Americans have lost Córdoba for the remainder of the tournament, but Luis Suárez appears to be in good form.
Probable starting lineups:
Switzerland: Kobel, Zakaria, Elvedi, Akanji, Rodríguez, Zakaria, Freuler, Endoi, Manzabi, Vargas, Embolo
Colombia: Vargas, Muñoz, Sánchez, Lukumi, Moica, Lerma, Arias, Puerta, Rodríguez, Suárez, Díaz
*photo source: AP