- 8 Jun 08, 10:00 AM
Basel
I've taken a bit of a shine to Switzerland coach Kobi Kuhn. He makes me think of a favourite old uncle; welcoming, with a nice line in presents at Christmas and a stoic desire to shield the young ones from bad news.
In the dressing room after his team's deflating defeat to the Czech Republic, he told his players to forget all about the loss, rather like, I imagine, the way my very own favourite uncle would convince me grades did not matter after I'd received yet another disappointing end of term report.
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My seat in the St Jakob-Park Stadium on Saturday was three rows behind the dugouts, which meant I had the perfect vantage point from which to view the behaviour of Kuhn and his Czech counterpart Karel Bruckner.
Observing them at close quarters as they took turns rising up out of their seats to yell some instruction or other was like watching one of those clocks where one figurine briefly appears from behind a door to be quickly replaced by another.
Both Kuhn and Bruckner are highly respected men in their home countries and both will retire once Euro 2008 finishes.
Yet while Kuhn has a kindly face and the sort of demeanour that suggests he doesn't ever lose his temper, even when his team are denied a blatant penalty as they were against the Czechs, Bruckner has the steely gaze and refined, craggy features that would not look out of place in the Hammer House of Horrors.
There was no handshake between the two men after the game. As Kuhn walked onto the pitch, seemingly miles from anyone, Bruckner embraced his backroom staff.
You had to feel some sympathy for Kuhn. As coach of one of the co-hosts, he has a heavy weight of expectation on his shoulders. More acutely, his wife is desperately ill in hospital.
I felt like bursting forward, past the lackadaisical, mullet-haired steward, onto the pitch and telling Kuhn not to worry, that it will all turn out OK in the end. The only problem with that, apart from the fact that I would have been arrested and, in all probability, sacked from my job, is that I don't think it is true.
Everything is not all right and the Swiss balloon is in grave danger of deflating before it has been properly blown up - and that would be a terrible shame for the tournament.
The Swiss turned out in great colour on Saturday, turning Basel red and white, but I'm not sure that football is in their DNA. They may look the part, but they don't sound it.
Wandering through the city on Friday, I eventually heard some singing and chanting. It turned out to be a group of high-spirited English fans.
I certainly haven't yet experienced the same sense of euphoria that knocked me sideways like a slap in the face from a wet and weighty fish when I was in Germany at the World Cup.
And after the match in Basel, events conspired to leave me even more confused.
The Swiss, whom I am starting to suspect exist within a small emotional bandwidth, seemed extremely philosophical in defeat. Even the players wandering through the mixed zone afterwards seemed remarkably upbeat. Perhaps they just don't believe that football is more important than life or death.
I was mulling this over in a bar when several Czech fans came in and sat at my table.
In between grumbling about the amount of Russians that now visit their hometown, they expressed their abject dismay at their team's performance.
"Not good, not good, not good," one said over and over again, as if to give the point extra gravitas. One of them did not speak any English but talked to me at length in Czech while I did my finest imitation of a nodding dog. When he started showing me photos on his mobile phone of his child playing ice hockey, I finally realised we had veered some way off topic.
Unhappy winners and sanguine losers - Saturday was, to borrow from Arkwright, a funny old day.
Not that Alexander Frei feels like laughing. Sitting so close to the Swiss dugout, I could see the pain on his face as he received treatment on his injured knee.
At one point, the 28-year-old captain, who had battled so hard to be fit for the tournament, turned his head and tried to burrow it into the turf.
It was a heart-wrenching scene, sullied by the sight of all and sundry capturing the moment on their digital cameras.
Since arriving in Switzerland I've been told to 'Expect Emotions'. Such a shame that they finally arrived in the form of tears.
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I'd like to admit that I also feel for Kobi as his wife is very ill and I hope and pray for her well being.
The Swiss did look like the attacking team but with no actual scoring.
They may have had a few tries but the results are known.
I thought the Czechs would win the match even if the scorer did seem to be slightly egded in the shin area right before he scored the one nil goal.
I reckon the host nation are out of this tournament before most.
As for guessing who'll win the tournament it's all between, from my POV, Germany, Italy, Spain, Holland, Portugal and France.
Now to down size to four = Germany, Italy, France and Portugal the others are out.
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THE VIEW FROM THE ARMCHAIR
Euro 2008 Match of the Day on the BBC once again waded in with an early bout of jovial punditry. Cut to Ray Stubbs and Gordon Strachan, pitchside St. Jakob-Park, Basel. The Celtic gaffer cracks 'gag of the day' about Scottish pound notes not being excepted in Switzerland, and we're left wondering whether Strachan was questioned at airport security in Zurich, for cramming too much banter into his suitcase.
Judging by the leather jacket, he may have had to leave some clothes behind in order to accomodate a Swiss slalom of stand-up.
Alas...summer has arrived...
The comfortable company of Lineker, Hansen and Shearer relaxed the occasional supporter, every bit as much as Martin O'Neill's figeting couch behaviour kept us on our toes.
As for the opening ceremony...ha!...the usual floating cubes, acrobats and arty nonsense, bearing little or no real resemblance to football. Motty and Brighty guided us trough until Platini's pay-per-view subsided.
The match itself was by no means a thriller but acted as a torch igniting the enthusiasm for more football to come. If Switzerland v Czech Republic was televised at any other time except for a major tournament, I wouldn't watch and I doubt you would either!
Two veteran managers Köbi Kuhn and Karel Brückner - who both seem to have been around longer than the snow on the Matterhorn - jousted their tatical know how, (or lack of it), over an average ninety minutes. The shin of Václav Sverkoš providing the opening goal for the Czechs and the tournament as a whole. Relief for all those watching.
The Swiss suffered an avalanche of bad luck - losing their only real striker Alexander Frei through injury and hitting the woodwork through Johan Vonlanthen. It was Hakan Yakin that missed the host nation's best chance - his header at goal turned out to be more defensive than offensive. Swizterland are strikerless and struggling - not a fruitful combination.
The Czechs bundled their way to three points and should now turn their attentions to their final group game with Turkey. On that performance, Portugal will hammer them in midweek.
Verdict: Swiss are goners, while Czechs show Turkey they're beatable.
Portugal versus Turkey should at least have been a little more mouthwatering than the opening match.
Predictably, we were then left with ninety minutes of 'Will Ronaldo join Madrid?' Saying that, Scorlari's men were far the better team. Pepe's goal was the product of a fine passing move and Raul Meireles added an equally well worked second. Turkey's Tuncay Sanli showed us why he's been making the Match of the Day blooper reel all season. Seriously, who told this guy he could play? How many air kicks does it take?
Verdict: Portugal are destined for the final four, Turkey need to find goals but well done our Colin!
And so the Germans open their account against Poland tonight and co-hosts/ no hopers Austria entertain Croatia. Watch out for Germany's Bastian Schweinsteiger if he plays and of course Ballack and Klose. What's the betting on a Slaven Bilic red-faced fit at the referee? Gotta love the European Championships.
One things for sure Switzerland and Spain could win something. The French Open final.
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The swiss need a win or a goal to set the crowd alight then I think they can go forward and out of the group.
They even played better once frei went off not just passing to him and hoping for some magic. They were the better team and terribly unlucky . They should take heart they can still qualify specially with turkey next as if portugal win they will put a weakened side out and turks might beat czech not wanting to go out on a wimper.
Im going for portugal to go through as top with 7 points swiss 4 turk 3 czech 3
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Did you really expect euphoria after this rather undeserved loss? Expectations are high and losing this match like that and their best striker are a blow. Euphoria would be inappropriate and sarcastic. At the World Cup, Germany actually won their first game!
But Köbi Kuhn's right, it's not over yet. They had to beat Turkey to reach the quarter-finals anyway, now more than ever. Also the loss of Frei and the denied penalties could also be extra motivation for the team and the fans. If the Swiss beat Turkey, there will be euphoria soon enough.
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From another perspective Switzerland close to failure might lift the Austrians to get something from their games and prevent the host nations from going out with a whimper.
It will be tougher for the Austrians but if they can beat Poland and Croatia with a home crowd and Croatia and Poland draw (the most likely of the stated events) they could get through...
Not sure the Swiss would like their underdog hosts getting further than them though
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As one cartoonist in the Tribune de Genève summed it up - Switzerland would be better playing football on clay and tennis on grass!
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The Swiss deserved a point, but not as much as the Austrians did yesterday.
It would be a shame if both countries failed to get a single point from the group stages.
They both played with some guile at times, and a lot of determination throughout.
(Shame England aren't there -- they would be bound to lose to one of these minnows before scraping through to the knock-out stage...)
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