Tue, Jun 17, 2008 page18

• Co-hosts Switzerland bow out with heads held high

  • AFP
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  Switzerland departed Euro 2008 with their heads held high after beating a second-string Portugal side 2-0 on Sunday.

  Hakan Yakin’s second-half double gave the Swiss supporters a measure of consolation after narrow defeats by the Czech Republic and Turkey had ensured their side would not go beyond the first round.

  Already sure of top spot in group A, Portugal boss Luiz Felipe Scolari took the opportunity to rest most of the players who will be back in Basel on Thursday to contest a quarter-final.

  Portugal still showed enough flashes of the quality to have put the match beyond reach before Hakan latched on to Eren Derdiyok’s flick to fire the 71st-minute opener through the legs of Portuguese goalkeeper Ricardo.

  Then, with seven minutes left, Tranquillo Barnetta was pulled down by Fernando Meira and Hakan slotted in the penalty to make sure Swiss coach Jakob Kuhn’s international career ended with a victory.

  “I’m very pleased that we were able to give this gift to the fans,” Kuhn said. “But of course there is a bit of sadness because we deserved to take at least a point from both of our first two games and it now looks as if that would have been enough to qualify us for the quarter-finals.”

  Ricardo, Pepe and Paulo Ferreira were the only survivors from the Portuguese side that started the win over the Czech Republic in midweek.

  Scolari said afterwards he regretted not changing his entire line-up to ensure there was no risk of key players getting injured or picking up yellow cards.

  “They played normally and we had a few opportunities but we did not score the goal we wanted and later on we saw the consequences of that,” Scolari said. “I could not have imagined [the match finishing] this way. I should have been more careful and replaced 11 rather than eight.”

  In the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo and Deco, Ricardo Quaresma seized the chance to show that Portugal’s reserves of skill run deep to create his side’s first chance, in the eigth minute.

  Shaping to cross from the left of the area, the Porto winger swung his right boot around the back of his left leg to deliver the ball, with astonishing accuracy, to the near post. Sadly, Helder Postiga’s header comfortably cleared the bar.

  Pascal Zuberbuhler was making his last international appearance in the Swiss goal and he was given the opportunity to demonstrate his reflexes remain sharp at the age of 37 when he turned Nani’s freekick onto the bar.

  A long-range effort from Gokhan Inler and a Hakan header from the midfielder’s corner gave Ricardo some work to do before the break.

  But Portugal were finding chances easier to come by and Postiga should have scored after Nani cut the ball back for the former Tottenham striker who saw his tame shot blocked by Philippe Senderos.

  Portugal’s domination continued into the early stages of the second half, Nani striking the base of the post before Quaresma’s swerving shot produced another good save from Zuberbuhler.

  It was to be the co-hosts who finished stronger though and Hakan’s coolness in front of goal ensured the Swiss were rewarded for their efforts.
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