Switzerland v Croatia - MATCH REPORT
Toothless Croats held to draw
Croatia were held to a 0-0 draw by Switzerland on Sunday in their opening Group B clash despite facing 10-men for 40 minutes in a poor match that was more memorable for the nine yellow cards handed out.
|
| Croatia's midfielder Ivica Mornar (up) pays attention to Switzerland's midfielder Christoph Spycher, 13 June 2004 at Pessoa stadium in Leiria, during their Euro 2004 group B football match at the European Nations championship in Portugal. AFP PHOTO Mladen ANTONOV |
The Swiss will be happier with the result after midfielder Johann Vogel was sent-off for a second bookable offence in the 50th minute but it was they who threatened to break the deadlock rather than the Croats, who failed to muster a single shot on target in the remainder of the match.
Vogel got his marching orders in the 50th minute when he brought down Tomo Sokota and right under referee Lucilio Batista's eyes the 27-year-old PSV Eindhoven midfielder kicked the ball away after the freekick was awarded against him.
|
| Switzerland's forward Hakan Yakin (L) vies with Croatia's defender Dario Simic 13 June 2004 at the Pessoa stadium in Leiria, during their Euro 2004 group B football match at the European Nations championship in Portugal. AFP PHOTO Hrvoje POLAN |
Sokota had a good chance to finally draw blood as Sokota fed by Niko Kovac turned inside a defender outside the area but his shot from 15 metres out sailed over the bar.
The match reached a nadir when Swiss keeper and captain Jorg Stiel missed a backpass and had to race back to stop it going into the goal literally stopping it with his head - he was to become the eighth yellow card minutes later for dissent.
|
| Switzerland's forward Stephane Chapuisat (R) and Croatia's defender Robert Kovac run for the ball, 13 June 2004 at the Pessoa stadium in Leiria, during their Euro 2004 group B football match at the European Nations championship in Portugal. AFP PHOTO Hrvoje POLAN |
A Swiss ploy to play the offside trap failed completely as from a Croat freekick Stiel was faced with four Croat attackers.
He managed to push out Josip Simunic's header and when it came back out to Ivica Olic he could only head it against the bar from three metres out to the astonishment of his team-mates.
The result will suit Group B rivals France and England who meet later on Sunday in a much anticipated tie in Lisbon.