EYES ON SWITZERLAND-The Road to The Bahamas

Wed, Mar 22nd 2017, 03:01 PM

The road to Bahamas
Switzerland began the European qualifiers with three wins out of three in the first group phase, in which they scored the small matter of 33 goals and conceded just one, against Lithuania. After needing extra time to see off Turkey in the second group phase, the Swiss then beat Azerbaijan 7-6 and Spain 8-4 to make sure of their place at the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Bahamas 2017. A 3-1 win over Portugal took them into the final, where they fell to a surprise 6-3 defeat to tournament revelations Poland.

Strengths and style
Angelo Schirinzi’s side have impressed since finishing runners-up at the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Dubai 2009. Known for their cultured brand of football, the Swiss have become one of the powerhouses of European beach football and have proven with their style of play and performances that they can take on anyone in the world.

FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup record
Switzerland surprised everyone on making their Beach Soccer world finals debut at Dubai 2009, easing their way through to the final, where they went down 10-5 to Brazil. A repeat of that exploit was beyond them at Ravenna/Italy 2011, when they went out in the group phase after narrow defeats to Italy and Senegal. Absent from Tahiti 2013, the Swiss returned at Portugal 2015, reaching the quarter finals before going out to the hosts and eventual champions.

FIFA.com

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