Swiss guards suffocate Spain

IT IS hard at the best of times to hear yourselves think at a World Cup stadium, with the drone of vuvuzelas matched by thumping rock music at half-time and after the games.

But there was an audible murmur of disbelief in the magnificent Moses Mahbida stadium when it was announced that Gelson Fernandes had been named man of the match.

Because for the all his tireless running and the decisive goal in the 52nd minute that he described as an “historic” moment for his country, this stunning victory was based on an outstanding display of defending from the Swiss.

From the remarkable Diego Benaglio in goal through to the dogged defending of Stephane Grichting and then Steve Von Bergen, on for the injured Philippe Senderos, the Swiss would not roll over.

If marks were given for artistic merit, Spain would have won by a country mile. If it had been a boxing contest, referee Howard Webb would have been tempted to call a halt in the first-half, so one-sided was it.

But it was a football match, where for all your superiority in terms of talent, possession and chances created, only one statistic counts: goals. The fact that the combined forces of David Villa, Andres Iniesta, Xavi and Fernando Torres, when he came on as substitute on the hour, could not do what Fernandes did and put the ball in the net, spoke volumes for the game plan set out by Ottmar Hitzfeld and executed perfectly by his side.

It brought grudging praise from Vicente del Bosque, his opposite number and like Hitzfeld a man who has won the Champions League twice. He was bitterly disappointed by the way his team lost their long unbeaten run.

“The Swiss knew how to defend well and blocked all our passes and crosses from the wings. They were very efficient,” he said.

“They tried to stop our football and benefit from set pieces and counter-attacks, and they got their reward.”

But that underplays how well the Swiss defended. Benaglio, the Wolfsburg keeper, was superb from the moment in the 10th minute when he dived bravely at Villa’s feet.

More good saves followed from David Silva, Iniesta and Gerard Pique, and even when Senderos hobbled off injured before half-time, it did not disrupt the Swiss defence. Unable to penetrate from close range, Spain started to shoot from distance but Xabi Alonso could not find a way through, his best effort rebounding off the bar from 25 yards.

The Swiss barely managed three attempts on goal – a first-half free-kick from former Tottenham fringe player Reto Ziegler, a late flick against the post from Eren Derdiyok, and in between those efforts, the goal from Fernandes. Benaglio’s long goal-kick was headed on in the centre-circle for a bustling run at goal from Derdiyok, and when Casillas dived at his feet and the ball fell loose, Fernandes bundled it over the line amid a scramble of bodies.

“It wasn’t the best goal I have ever scored but certainly the most important,” he said.

Still Spain poured forward, still the Swiss resisted. Sergio Ramos headed over, Benaglio saved a Silva shot and then dived at Villa’s feet, and then Torres was introduced with half-an-hour to go. But the Liverpool striker looked ring-rusty after his knee operation, and he blazed one volley high over the bar and then pushed the ball too far ahead of himself when he finally had a run on goal. Jesus Navas, another substitute, whistled a shot wide of the far post and then found Benaglio’s gloves, as every subsequent shot seemed to do, so that even when Webb indicated five minutes of stoppage time, the Swiss did not seem unduly bothered.

By the end it would have been a shock if Spain had scored, such was the solidity of the Swiss defence. Now del Bosque’s men need to win at least one of their remaining two games or risk facing Brazil in the next round.