Switzerland
Coach opts for experience in choosing 23-man squad with seven reserves.
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| Hitzfeld said experience was important for his squad’s chances at the World Cup [EPA] |
The Swiss will never win any awards for cavalier football but former Bayern Munich coach Ottmar Hitzfeld has forged a ruthless team who won five matches in a row in qualifying to finish top of their group.
Basel striker Alexander Frei is the record scorer for his country, while partner Blaise Nkufo holds the crown for Dutch champs FC Twente – as the English saying goes, these two know where the onion bag is.
Don’t expect 26th-ranked Switzerland to beat Spain, but wins against Honduras and Chile are possible as Hitzfeld’s pragmatic side aim for their first quarter-final appearance since 1954.
Goalkeepers:
Diego Benaglio (Wolfsburg), Johnny Leoni (Zurich), Marco Woelfli (Young Boys).
| Group H fixtures |
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Wednesday June 16 Monday June 21 Friday June 25 |
Defenders:
Mario Eggimann (Hanover), Stephane Grichting (Auxerre), Stephan Lichtsteiner (Lazio), Philippe Senderos (Arsenal), Ludovic Magnin (FC Zurich), Steve Von Bergen (Hertha Berlin), Reto Ziegler (Sampdoria).
Midfielders:
Tranquillo Barnetta (Bayer Leverkusen), Valon Behrami (West Ham), Gelson Fernandes (St Etienne), Benjamin Huggel (Basel), Goekhan Inler (Udinese), Marco Padalino (Sampdoria), Pirmin Schwegler (Eintracht Frankfurt), Xherdan Shaqiri (Basel), Hakan Yakin (Lucerne).
Forwards:
Eren Derdiyok (Bayer Leverkusen), Alexander Frei (Basel), Blaise Nkufo (Twente), Marco Streller (Basel).
Reserves:
Fabio Coltorti (Racing Santander); Francois Affolter (Young Boys), Fabian Lustenberger (Hertha Berlin), Albert Bunjaku (Nuremberg), Nassim Ben Khalifa (Grasshopper), Valentin Stocker (Basel), Ludovic Magnin (FC Zurich).