Minute by Minute: Switzerland - Portugal


Written by: Stephen Sharp Bookmark and Share
2008-06-15 20:34:08

Luiz Felipe Scolari is resting just about everyone today
  Luiz Felipe Scolari is resting just about everyone today
BASEL, Jun 16 (SW) - Group A of Euro 2008 concludes today as group leaders Portugal take on co-hosts Switzerland in Basel. SoccerWay keeps you up to date with the latest.

Current score: 2-0
More match information: Here.

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For updates on Turkey-Czech Republic, click here.

TUR-CZE update: And just as this match ends, Turkey have gone in front in Geneva! Awful defending on the left by the Czechs and Nihat blasts one in off the crossbar to take a 3-2 lead!

FULL-TIME: It's all over in Basel. The Swiss send Kuhn out with a 2-0 victory, their first ever in a Euro finals. Portugal await the winner

TUR-CZE update: It's level in Geneva!!!! A thrilling comeback by Turkey. Cech grossly mishandles a cross on the wet pitch and the ball falls through for Nihat Kahveci to slot home. Two minutes from time now and penalties beckon if the 2-2 score remains.

Minute 86: Yakin leaves to a great ovation in Basel as he is replaced by Ricardo Cabañas.

Minute 85: Veteran Stéphane Grichting comes on to replace Lichtsteiner.

Minute 83: GOAL SWITZERLAND (2-0) HAKAN YAKIN buries the spot kick to the left. Ricardo guessed right, but the force of the shot left him no chance. Three goals in the tournament for the Swiss, all scored by Yakin.

Minute 82: Fernando Meira takes down Barnetta in the area. Penalty to Switzerland!

Minute 81: Tranquillo Barnetta and Miguel are both booked at the same time. Up to seven bookings here tonight.

TUR-CZE update: Arda Turan beats Petr Cech at the near post and Turkey now trail 2-1 with 15 minutes to play in Geneva. Game back on.

Minute 78: Fernando Meira is the next player booked. And news from Geneva...

Minute 77: Quaresma has a dangerous looking chance, but Stefan Lichtsteiner is in his way and the pass back into the center only gets as far as Zuberbühler.

Minute 74: Postiga comes off, Hugo Almeida comes on as the third and final switch for Luiz Felipe Scolari and Portugal

Minute 72: GOAL SWITZERLAND (1-0) HAKAN YAKIN gives Switzerland a fantastic goal. A long ball from midfield is touched into the path of the veteran Swiss striker by Derdiyok and he puts it between the legs of a charging Ricardo. They'll hope to hold out now to claim three points.

Minute 71: Miguel Veloso comes off with João Moutinho coming on to replace him.

TUR-CZE update: The Czech Republic are now 2-0 in front against Turkey in Geneva. Jaroslav Plasil slides in to tap home a right-wing cross from Libor Sionko. Turkey were denied the chance to get a substitute on and were down to 10 men, so Fatih Terim won't be happy with that. But, nonetheless, they are up against it now are the Turks.

Minute 65: Barnetta lays it off for Inler, and the midfielder's strike just missed wide of the post.

Minute 62: Inler's near-post cross nearly gets onto the boot of Barnetta. Corner kick to Switzerland.

Minute 61: Vonlanthen was replacing Tranquillo Barnetta, and now Barnetta is subbed on with Vonlanthen coming off.

Minute 58: Quaresma takes a dipping shot that Zuberbühler does well with. Play ends with Postiga offside for the fourth time in the game.

Minute 53: A deflected pass goes right into the path of Nani and he's got Zuberbühler beat, but the ball skids off the post. Bad miss there by the Manchester United player.

Minute 52: Eren Derdiyok's pass forward into the area is well ahead of any teammates.

Minute 48: Yakin's cross into the center of the area finds its target in Vonlanthen, but his header is wide of the target.

Minute 46: Back underway at St. Jakob Park! And immediately the Swiss come forward, but a long-range effort by Inler is no trouble for Ricardo.

HALF-TIME: A couple of chances for each side in this one, but the score remains 0-0 going into the break. Might see a couple more fresh faces for Portugal as Scolari looks to keep all his starters fresh.

TUR-CZE update: Marek Matejovsky has gone off injured for the Czechs and David Jarolim is on to take his place. Czechs still hold a 1-0 lead on the Jan Koller header.

Minute 41: Substitution for Portugal as Paulo Ferreira is off for Jorge Ribeiro. Scolari likely keeping Ferreira from picking up a second yellow.

TUR-CZE update: And there's been a goal in Geneva, big Jan Koller heading in a cross from Zdenek Grygera, and the Czechs lead Turkey 1-0.

Minute 36: Postiga times a run into the area and slots past the Swiss keeper, but he's ruled offside. Appeared though that Lichtsteiner was keeping him on. Tough break for Portugal.

TUR-CZE update: They're past the half-hour mark in Geneva, and Turkey and the Czech Republic remain scoreless.

Minute 32: After Behrami is stretchered off, Yakin takes the free kick and Ricardo guides it out for a corner. The next corner is headed goalwards by Yakin, and Ricardo makes a sprawling save. So close for the home side.

Minute 30: Nasty looking challenge by Paulo Ferreira on Valon Behrami, and he's cautioned by Plautz.

Minute 28: Hakan Yakin goes down into the book.

Minute 27: Free kick by Nani is punched away by Ricardo.

Minute 24: Nani crosses back for Postiga, but his guided shot is off the leg of Philippe Senderos. Nice play by the Swiss defender.

Minute 23: Blistering shot from 30 yards out by Gökhan Inler, and Ricardo has to do well to make the save. Then, Hakan Yakin nearly catches Ricardo out on the corner, but the header falls into a crowd.

Minute 20: Cross by Quaresma to the far post, and Bruno Alves' header is right into the arms of Zuberbühler.

Minute 18: A low free kick from 30 yards by Nani is deflected onto the crossbar by Pepe.

Minute 16: Ricardo nearly gets caught out of his goal on a corner kick, but the shot is deflected on its way to goal and he's able to gather it up.

Minute 15: So far the action has been lacking in Basel. Not entirely surprising given the circumstances, but you always expect two sides to come out and give it their all.

Minute 8: Portugal come close to the opener. Ricardo Quaresma makes a great move to get a cross into the six-yard box, but Hélder Postiga's header is just off the mark.

Minute 2: Ludovic Magnin's cross into the area is deflected into the arms of Portugal goalkeeper Ricardo.

Kickoff: Austria's Konrad Plautz is the match referee today, and we're underway!

Pre-Game: If you choose to follow us here, we will keep you up to date with the Czech Republic-Turkey clash in Geneva, the winner of that game advancing to face Croatia in the quarter-finals. If it ends in a draw, penalties decide it.

Pre-Game: Meanwhile, it's wholesale changes for Portugal. Bruno Alves, Fernando Meira, Raúl Meireles, Miguel, Ricardo Quaresma, Miguel Veloso, Nani, and Hélder Postiga are in Luiz Felipe Scolari's starting line-up while Bosingwa, Ricardo Carvalho, Petit, João Moutinho, Cristiano Ronaldo, Deco, Simão, and Nuno Gomes sit this one out.

Pre-Game: Switzerland coach Köbi Kuhn, in his final match at the helm of the team, makes two changes to his team with Diego Benaglio on the bench and Pascal Zuberbühler at goalkeeper. Also, Johan Vonlanthen is favored to a rather ineffective Tranquillo Barnetta on the left flank.

Pre-Game: Well, this match is for all intents and purposes a formality with Portugal having clinched first place in Group A and Switzerland already eliminated from the tournament. However, no host nation has ever failed to earn a point and the Swiss will want to go out in style while Portugal are resting a number of their regulars.




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