Highlights - Spain 0-1 Switzerland
Switzerland coach Ottmar Hitzfeld believes his team have "made history" by pulling off a shock 1-0 win over pre-tournament favourites Spain.
"This will go down in the record books," added Hitzfeld in Durban.
They largely sat deep as the European champions bossed possession, but Gelson Fernandes hit a 52nd-minute winner.
"If you want to play an attacking game against Spain you would lose by a big margin," Hitzfeld continued, after the 2010 World Cup's biggest shock so far.
Spain came into the group H match with a daunting record of just one defeat in their previous 48 matches.
However, despite having nearly 70% of possession and 22 efforts on goal compared to Switzerland's six, they could not find a breakthrough.
|
These were three very unexpected points for us
Swiss coach Ottmar Hitzfeld
|
Hitzfeld admitted it was a surprise to win against a nation with such a fine pedigree, but showered his own team with praise.
"These were three very unexpected points for us," he said.
"I am very satisfied with my team's performance. Our aim was to have two compact lines behind our strikers. We didn't want to lose too much energy fighting for the ball.
"We wanted to focus on our defence and wait for the counter attack. We concentrated and were organised from the start.
"In the second half, Spain rolled one attack after another and we knew they would open their defence. After we took the lead, we gained even more confidence.
"The three points is a gift that we happily accept. It's a great feeling to start the tournament with three points against one of the biggest contenders for the title."
The only negative aspect of the match for the Swiss was the injury to Fulham defender Philippe Senderos, who was substituted midway through the first half after sustaining an ankle problem.
"It will be very difficult to replace him and it will be a major blow for my team if we were to lose him," said Hitzfeld.
Switzerland's next match is on Monday against Chile, who are also on three points after beating Honduras 1-0 on Wednesday.
Fernandes goal stuns Spain
No comments:
Post a Comment