June 15 will surely hold one of the most underrated but exciting matches of the 2014 World Cup tournament. A Switzerland side that boasts a stacked midfield will come face to face with a very quick and attacked minded Ecuadorian side. Despite a disappointing group stage exit for the Swiss in South Africa four years ago, they come into the tournament with a handful of talented players and a very experienced trainer in the form of Ottmar Hitzfeld. Ecuador on the other hand, will heavily rely on Manchester United winger Antonio Valencia, and their attack minded style of play.
It has been rumored that because of the close proximity to Ecuador, thousands of fans will be making the short trek to Brazil to cheer on their side throughout the group stage. There has also been some preconceived notion that European teams will be unsuccessful at this year’s World Cup, as no European team has ever won a World Cup title in South America. Despite what you have just read, look for Switzerland to come out of this match with three points in hand.
Switzerland will most likely hold a fair amount of possession as they can come at Ecuador from all sides. I believe that the likes of Xherdan Shaqiri, Gokhan Inler and Granit Xhaka will be too much for the Ecuadorian defense to handle.
Despite the fact that they play fast and attack minded football, Ecuador’s biggest concern has been their defense. There is no arguing that Antonio Valencia is a world-class player, but the only true option that he has up top is Felipe Caicedo, who scored only one time in eleven appearances for Lokomotiv Moscow this year. In tournaments such as these, a team needs to have a somewhat strong defensive line, and Ecuador just doesn’t have that.
My prediction is that the game will be open and that there will be numerous chances for both sides. On recent form alone, it is hard to bet against Switzerland winning this game.
My prediction: Switzerland wins 2-0
Betting odds provided by Bovada.lv:
Switzerland: Pick (-140) Moneyline: +145
Ecuador: Pick (+115) Moneyline: +210
DRAW: +210
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