Switzerland and Honduras aiming to grab second spot

Switzerland and Honduras both have a chance to qualify for the next round when they meet at the Free State Stadium in Mangaung/Bloemfontein on June 25. However, Switzerland has a slight advantage as they have three points to Honduras’ none. The Swiss have to at least get a win or draw to go through, while Honduras has to win. Chile leads the group with six points followed by Spain and Switzerland with three each and then Honduras.

If Chile beats Spain, Switzerland will go through with a draw or win. If Chile and Spain draw, Switzerland has to win. For Honduras to go through they have to win and Spain has to lose. They also have to wipe out Spain’s plus 1 goal difference as Honduras sits at minus 3. Switzerland earned their points in their first match against Spain with a 1-0 win and then lost 1-0 to Chile. Honduras lost their first match 1-0 to Chile and their second game 2-0 to Spain.

Honduras won’t be going anywhere though if they can’t break out of their scoring slump. Switzerland isn’t much better when it comes to putting the ball in the net as they have been relying on their defence so far. So, this could be a low-scoring affair, especially as Swiss goalie Diego Benaglio has been fantastic in net.
The Swiss will pin their hopes on the country’s all-time leading scorer Alexander Frei to land his first goal of the tournament with some help from fellow striker Eren Derdiyok. Midfielder Gelson Fernandes has the team’s only goal up to now. Midfielder Valon Behrami is suspended for the game after receiving a red card against Chile and defender Philippe Senderos could miss the game with an injury.

Switzerland set a World Cup-record in the game against Chile as they had gone 557 minutes of play in World cup games without letting in a goal. They played well after Behrami was sent off in the 31st minute, but finally cracked under the intense pressure. Some fans blame manager Ottmar Hitzfeld for taking Frei out of the game and trying to hang on for a draw instead of leaving in his attack force.

The attack of Honduras has been virtually invisible during the first two games and they have gone 300 World Cup minutes without scoring a goal, dating back to 1982. Nobody has really looked very impressive other than goaltender Noel Valladares and midfielder Ramon Nunez. Especially disappointing have been midfielder Amado Guevara, and forward Carlos Pavon. Honduras manager Reinaldo Rueda knows this and is urging his players to show some pride by going out in an attempt to win the game, especially as they can still qualify for the next round mathematically, even though the chances are remote.

Odds and Predictions

Switzerland should be able to do enough to win the game 1-0, but it still may not be enough to get them through to the next round. A bet on the Swiss gives you 1.45 (-222, 5/11) at Bodog

Switzerland and Honduras have never met before, but Ladbrokes has the Swiss listed as favourites with odds of 11/20, while Honduras to win is posted at 21/4, with the odds of a draw at 31/10.

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