Before the tournament started few thought Monday’s match between Chile and Switzerland would feature the two teams at the top of Group H, but with each having won three points in their opening game, Monday’s middle match could see one of these teams all-but-secure a place in the knockout stage.
2010 World Cup, Chile Vs. Switzerland Preview: The Surprise Leaders Of Group H
Switzerland, in particular, would be in great shape with a win. They’ve already faced their toughest opponent, Spain, and emerged unscathed. Now they face Chile, their chief competition to get into the next round, and should they get a win today, they would need only one point from Honduras on Friday to win Group H.
Chile is in a similar situation: sitting on three points; looking to move to six; where one point in the next match would win them the group. The problem is they have yet to face Spain, which they will do on Friday. A Chile win today in the face of a match with Spain could be a recipe for three teams finishing Group H on six points.
First, today’s match between Chile and Switzerland:
Chile, Going Forward: Humberto Suazo is set to return for Marcelo Bielsa’s men, addressing the one concern remaining after their dismantling for Honduras. Having over 70 percent of the possession in their first match, Chile’s only problem was the lack of a presence in the middle - somebody in the penalty box who would be in position to take advantage of Chile’s dominance. Though it is unclear how healthy he will be, Suazo is that man.
Helping Suazo’s task in the middle is great wide play from the Chileans that stretches their opponents’ defense. Fullbacks Reto Zeigler and Stephan Lichsteiner will be stressed by Jean Beausejour and Aléxis Sanchez (and possibly Mark González), while wingers Gelson Fernandez and Tranquillo Barnetta will have to come deeper to support their teammates, lest central defenders Stephane Grichting and Steve von Bergen have to leave their positions to help. That holding midfielders Gokhan Inler and Benjamin Huggel will also be important in handling Chile’s width speaks to the effort required to manage La Roja’s pressure.
Switzerland, Going Forward: As was the case against Spain, Switzerland’s attack is going to have to be more about counters then build-ups. Versus the Spanish, the Swiss weren’t able to generate many opportunities, but they had enough success to justify Ottmar Hitzfeld maintaining the same approach.
We should see a 4-4-2 formation where the keys, beyond the finishing of Eren Derdiyok, Blaise N’kufo and (if he plays) Alexander Frei, will be Fernandes and Barnetta’s abilities to transition Switzerland into attack. With Inler and Huggel likely to be packed deep in the Swiss end, Switzerland defenders will have to pass out along the wings if the Swiss are to maintain possession. Fernandes and Barnetta then become the link-up men, though they'll also have to deal with the presence of Rodrigo Millar and Carlos Carmona. As quickly as they get possession, they will feel pressure from the Chileans to give-up the ball.
How The Match Turns: After an acclimation period, the Swiss will adjust to the Chileans. They’ll start to get the rhythm of the high-intensity match. They’ll begin to notice the places were Barnetta and Fernandes, Derdiyok and N’kufo are most likely to be open and receive the ball. Unless Chile makes an early mistake, this acclimation process will take some time, possibly more than a half. Once Switzerland adjusts, they will control the match, if not the ball.
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