FIFA World Cup Round of 16: Argentina 1-0 Switzerland : Five talking points

#2 Swiss faded as an attacking force as the game went on

Before the start of the game, a lot of people predicted that the experienced Hitzfeld would send his side out to be solid initially and then go for the kill late on. But what transpired was completely the opposite.

Although the opening half was a largely tight affair with the South Americans enjoying the bulk of the possession, it was the Swiss who had the half’s best chances.

Their failure to take them meant that as the game wore on, they dropped back deeper and deeper. By the time the whistle blew for the end of normal time, Switzerland had camped back near the edge of their box, almost willing Argentina to break down.

The only other time, they even looked like scoring was after Argentina scored, when they hit the post. In the end, their decision to drop deep worked against them as they went out of the tournament.