The theory of the “glass half full, half empty” after the tie in Spain turned into an overflowing glass in the two matches in Alvalade against Switzerland and Rep. Check. Of quality, perseverance, goals, points as a natural consequence of all this. Fernando Santos never lost the most thoughtful speech, highlighting how well done without forgetting that nothing had been won, but he realized what he had managed to build in a complicated context of consecutive games at the end of the season. Now, in Switzerland, I tried to prolong that moment with the confidence that it was a phase based on the collective.
Portugal falls in Switzerland with a goal by Seferovic and loses group leadership in the Nations League
“So we are all ready to receive Ronaldo and the guy is not coming?” lamented the numerous Portuguese fans in Switzerland after learning of the call for the reunion with Switzerland a week after the 4-0 in Alvalade. “They are not physical problems, it is normal driving. It wouldn’t make sense to have 26 traveling when only 23 can be in the bank. In the last few games we managed better and now the choice fell on these players”, explained Fernando Santos about a choice that also left Raphael Guerreiro and João Moutinho. The fourth game in ten days forced a change of team but the winning structure was maintained, with the placement of a more positional player and more box to box in midfield working as a dynamo for all the other seats to be carburized.
Fernando Santos warned: they don’t just go there to watch, eat and sleep (the Portugal-Switzerland chronicle)
“The changes will not be so many, but some will exist. And they are also done during the game, even for the nuances that I expect. A first part of one type, a second of another for example. The quality of the players is not in doubt, I have the possibility to choose which players interest me the most at the beginning. everyone has agreed to be here with great joy after a long season, and these 11 million people know that they can count on them”, justified Fernando Santos, who was not excited about the three consecutive defeats of the Swiss in the League of Nations so far .
Final score? Companion of King Bernardo (Chronicle Luso-Czech Republic)
“They will change, for sure. It was not a normal result considering the clashes of recent years. Switzerland is one of the fastest growing teams in the last ten years, even in 2016. They are very consistent, they have a lot of quality. Portugal’s game was abnormal, they created a lot of problems in some moments of the game. His position was maintained in the match with Spain and in the second half he could have reached a draw or even a victory. The players themselves mentioned this later. A team that suffers a defeat that is not normal always goes to the next game with the great desire to show that what happened does not correspond to reality. We are waiting for a very strong Switzerland and hoping that they can beat us and we also have to show that we are capable”, summed up the national coach.
From the entry of Vitinha to the place of William Carvalho to the return of Otávio and Nuno Mendes, through the bet on Rafael Leão and André Silva up front, Portugal changed and with that ended up being a team without characteristics in relation to the last two meetings in Alvalade. And if Ronaldo was already officially on vacation, many other elements were as if they were too, with the physical exhaustion in the mix that is felt in players like Bruno Fernandes along with less successful performances tonight in Geneva like those of Vitinha or Rafael Lion . . However, and not to vary, there was a highlight in the team that wanted to be the beacon of all the others, even taking risks with climbs to the opposite area that almost did not score. At 39, Pepe played all four games in ten days in the Nations League and deserved more the night he climbed on the podium of the most international players in Portugal.
The match started as in Alvalade but at supersonic speed and with the goal in the account, contrary to what happened in the 4-0: Portugal lost a ball at the start in a prohibited area, the Swiss worked well on the right and Widmer crossed out to the Seferovic header deflection in the first minute, in which it was only the third goal conceded by the National Team in the initial 60 seconds of an official match. The attempted response even looked promising, with Portugal managing to play in the opposition’s midfield even without opportunities to target Omlin’s goal, but it would again be the Swiss team that would have an offer that could be promising in a penalty scored by the Nuno’s hand. Mendes inside the area but diverted by the VAR due to a foul in the midfield on André Silva (12′).
This time really counts ☹️#sporttvportugal #NAÇÕESnaSPORTTV #uefa #ligadelauefanacion #Swiss #Portugal #Seferovic pic.twitter.com/CkiiYLvJCk
— SPORT TV (@SPORTTVPortugal) June 12, 2022
We would have to wait a few more minutes for Portugal’s first opportunity, in a well-worked set piece that Danilo put to finish off in the area for Omlin’s defense (17 ‘). On the next play, André Silva went deep, crossed well inside the area but Rafael Leão’s goal was ultimately invalidated by the irregular position of the RB Leipzig player at the start of the play (18’). Portugal had the game under control, they did not allow offensive actions to a Switzerland that did not finish Rui Patrício’s goal again until the break, but also faced big problems in creating chances for a draw, adding to that an abnormal number of turnovers, especially in their midfield.
????????? INTERVAL | ????????? Switzerland 1-0 Portugal ???????
Fernando Santos will have taken a vacation…
…just Ronaldo? #SUIPOR #UNL #NationsLeague pic.twitter.com/rPNxoWB98Q— GoalPoint.pt (@_Goalpoint) June 12, 2022
For the second half, Fernando Santos gave in to Otávio to launch Gonçalo Guedes from the right in search of greater depth and breadth in Portugal’s game, but it was on the opposite side that the first great opportunity for an equalizer was born after the break with Nuno. . Mendes recovering a ball from the front and to launch André Silva for a shot blocked by Omlin. Switzerland continued to be almost non-existent in the offensive plan, playing long on Seferovic with the farthest lines and without the ability to arrive to help the game in support of the Benfica striker, but only with the entrances of Jota and Bernardo Silva The National Team managed to settle in the opposing midfield in search of a tie.
From Bernardo Silva to Gonçalo Guedes, from Diogo Jota to Pepe, Omlin shone from there, the Swiss bet on the goal that became the MVP of the match. And for the opportunities he created and wasted, even equality was a punishment for what happened throughout the 90 minutes, but Portugal ended up attracting that inefficiency in the definition by the way he missed passes, crosses and dead balls that didn’t even reach . area. . Pepe deserved more and the Seleção deserved more the day he lost the leadership of the League of Nations against Spain and will reach the Iberian “final” in a different context.
????????? END | ????????? Switzerland 1-0 Portugal ???????
???? Game (barely) lost in the 1st minute
???? The selection woke up in the 2nd half
???? Omlin’s offensive disinspiration and inspiration made the difference
???? Ratings, stats and xG at https://t.co/QZuwKyufuG #SUIPOR #UNL #NationsLeague pic.twitter.com/r3PrLzSvBb— GoalPoint.pt (@_Goalpoint) June 12, 2022
Source: Observadora
