Death, taxes, and Switzerland in the Round of 16. It’s a tradition at this point. The Swiss dispatched Algeria 2-0 on Thursday in Vancouver, securing their fourth consecutive trip to the knockout stage. Yet, the real test remains. They haven’t smelled a quarterfinal since Dwight Eisenhower was in the White House and they hosted the damn thing back in 1954. Next up is either Colombia or Ghana. Good luck.
History was made, technically. This marks three straight World Cup wins for the Swiss, a feat they’ve never pulled off before. Canada and Bosnia and Herzegovina were the previous victims. Now Algeria joins the list.
Algeria came out buzzing. They were still riding the high of their chaotic group-stage escape. They missed their early chances. Switzerland did not. Ten minutes in, Johan Manzambi sparked a counter-attack, sliced through the Algerian defense, and served Breel Embolo an easy tap-in. Just like that. 1-0.
The rest of the game followed a predictable script. Algeria hogged the ball. They passed it around. They looked pretty doing it. But possession is a liar. The Swiss defense held firm, waiting for the soft spots. They found one early in the second half. Dan Ndoye latched onto a ball at the top of the box and lashed it home. Two-nil. Game over, realistically.
In a tournament defined by heart attacks and upsets, this one ended with a yawn. Switzerland cruised. There was a comical Swiss miss late on, but it didn’t matter. The fans sang. The clock ticked down. Job done.
