Switzerland wastes chances and Qatar draws at the end in Group B
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The football maxim of "those who don't do, take" were present in the game that ended the first round of Group B of the World Cup.
The football maxim of "those who don't do, take" were present in the game that ended the first round of Group B of the World Cup. This Saturday (13), Switzerland and Qatar drew 1-1 at Levi's Stadium, in Santa Clara, California (United States).
The Swiss wasted several opportunities throughout the match. There were 26 shots, but only seven towards the Qatari goal. With far fewer shots (seven, four on goal), the Asian team managed to equalize in stoppage time of the final stage and scored their first point in history in a World Cup. Host of the previous edition, the country's team lost the three games it played in 2022.
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With one point each, Switzerland and Qatar equal Canada, another World Cup host, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, who finished 1-1 last Friday (12), at Toronto Field. It was the first World Cup game on Canadian soil in history.
Group B continues next Thursday (18). At 4pm (Brasília time), Switzerland plays again in California, but in Los Angeles, at the SoFi Stadium, against Bosnia. Later, at 7pm, Qatar will go to Canada to face the home team at BC Place Stadium, in Vancouver.
Swiss watches usually mean precision, efficiency. The same could not be said about the Alpine football team, despite their advantage on the scoreboard at the end of the first half. The Europeans finished 14 times in the opening 45 minutes, 12 of which were inside the box, but only found the net from a penalty kick.
In the 13th minute, goalkeeper Mahmoud Abunada arrived late in the tackle on midfielder Remo Freuler, inside the area. After three minutes of analysis by the video referee (VAR) about whether or not an offside was called, striker Breel Embolo took the shot and sent it into the net.
With the game under control, Switzerland began to pace its actions to avoid further exhaustion due to the strong heat in Santa Clara. Qatar, in turn, tried to come out at speed when they had possession of the ball, but ran into their own technical limitations and the marking of the Europeans, almost always in numerical superiority.
When the Swiss victory seemed on its way, punishment came for the wasted opportunities. In stoppage time, in the 49th minute of the final stage, defender Boualem Khoukhi appeared in the area and, with his head, scored the goal that exploded the Qatari fans present in California, guaranteeing the draw.
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