In what promises to be one of the most entertaining opening games of this year’s World Cup, Switzerland will face off against Ecuador in Group E play on June 15. The 72,888 seat Estádio Nacional Mané Garrincha in Brasilia, Brazil will host the two nations as they hope to open their respective campaigns with a three points to their name. This encounter will be the first time the two teams will have ever faced each other in competitive international play.
The Swiss National Team comes into the tournament with one of the most respected coaches in the world, Ottmar Hitzfeld leading the way. Though 2010 saw “La Suisse” surprisingly beat eventual champions Spain, they were unsuccessful in their other group games and ultimately failed to reach the knockout rounds. This Swiss side though, comes into the tournament with a lot more experience and a handful of world-class players on their team sheet. Though much has been made about the lack of quality up front, look for Switzerland to play through their strong midfield with the likes of Bayern Munich’s Xherdan Shaqiri and Napoli’s Gokhan Inler leading the way. Switzerland comes into the tournament with a 3-1-1 record including a 1-0 win over hosts Brazil.
Coach Reinaldo Rueda leads his Ecuadorian side into the tournament stating, “I want to play seven games. That is what I want at the World Cup.” Though not a roster with many popular names, Ecuador does boast arguably the fastest player on the planet, Manchester United winger Antonio Valencia. Look for FC Lokomotiv Moscow forward Felipe Caicedo to compliment the Manchester United man up top. The fast pace of the Ecuadorians does see them score a lot of goals (an average of 1.43 in their last 7 games) but it is their defense that has been of major concern in recent times. This will be Ecuador’s second appearance in the last three World Cups.
This clash is shaping up to be one of the most exciting group games of the tournament as Ecuador’s pace and attacking prowess will come up against a talented Switzerland midfield. The game is set to kick off at 12 p.m. EST and can be see on ABC, Univision and ESPN Deportes. For those who are not able to reach a TV because they are stuck at work, don’t worry WatchESPN will be streaming all live games directly from here.
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