The Group E fixtures seemed to be ones that were going to be very unpredictable and the first match of those group stages just proved that. Switzerland was taking on Ecuador in the Estadio Nacional de Brasilia in a very close match with few very clear-cut opportunities for scoring. In dramatic fashion, the Swiss left in until the dying moments of the match to grab the winner that so far has them sitting on top of the group.
Ecuador had opened up the scoring when Walter Ayovi swung in a free kick that Enner Valencia was able to guide the ball from close distance. The score stayed that way until shortly after the restart and the Swiss were able to convert a chance through yet another set piece in this match. The equalizer came from a thumping header through Admir Mehmedi.
Later during the match, a Swiss goal was controversially ruled offside. Swiss forward, Josip Drmic, was wrongly called offside when a through ball was dummied and deflected off of an Ecuadorian defender into the path of Drmic that later he converted. The linesman had called that incorrectly.
Late on Ecuador were pushing very aggressively to try and get the winner but that tactic would eventually cost them. The Ecuadorians were caught with too many players forward and the Swiss took advantage with a lethal counter attack that began at the Swiss side of the pitch. Swiss defender Valon Behrami, made a crucial tackle in his own box that started the last attack. The Swiss broke swiftly to the other end and Swiss midfielder Ricardo Rodriguez had crossed in a menacing ball into the box that would eventually be converted by Haris Seferovic in the dying seconds of extra time.
It seemed inevitable that we were going to see the first draw of this World Cup but the Swiss had other plans. Ecuador’s tactics ended up backfiring, which may see their chances on advancing very slim but there is still much to play for in this group.
Photo credit: ANNE-CHRISTINE POUJOULAT/AFP/Getty Images
