LiveBlog: Togo-Switzerland

Switzerland puts an end to the Togo drama (there can’t be any more can there?) by finishing two of their chances to Togo’s zero.

Final: Switzerland 2-0 Togo

Final: Switzerland used an alternating pace and a lot of long range shots at the beginning of the game to keep Togo guessing on defense and then altered Togo’s attacks just enough that they could never get one past the goalie. Togo may have outplayed Switzerland in the first half, and certainly saw their fair share of chances in front of the goal. They definitely showed up to play in a game that it was thought they might skip altogether.

93:00 Game over.

91:25 Three minutes exra time and team captain Johann Vogel (Swiss) gets booked with a yellow for kicking the ball away.

90:25 Good shot by Salifou off the corner, goalie sends it just up and over the net.

87:55 Goal Switzerland! Barnetta hits the far corner on the ground after a cross to bury Togo and mostly end their world cup.

86:35 Adebayor looks gassed from carrying his team and Frei comes off for Lustrinelli.

85:31 Corner for Togo.

83:51 Switzerland free kick curls about 20 feet over the goal.

82:22 Togo again showing a world class inability to finish has to rely on one on one defense to take the ball from the Swiss counter.

78:59 A Togo goal will make this game and group very interesting for the last ten minutes and the last game of the round. Frei catches the Togo goalie a little far from the goal and nearly puts it in from midfield. He misses about a foot high.

77:26 Togo quite offsides.

77:07 Streller coming in for Cabanas for Switzerland.

74:47 A free kick for Togo is fought over by Switzerland, who truly thought it was their ball, but the free kick is headed back out without any real chance of going anywhere. Oh the drama.

73:31 Togo demonstrates some skill and offensive ideas, but can’t get two players in the right place at the right time.

71:59 Yakin with a bicycle kick off a cross that is impressively sent towards the goal with no speed.

71:15 Corner for Switzerland hauled in by the keeper.

69:30 Goal kick for Togo and Adebayor is running things from the middle. His pass out dribbles out of bounds.

68:00 Senaya in for Dosevi on Togo’s side.

66:00 Togo dances around, flirting with taking a shot, then loses the ball and has to recover to stop Switzerland’s coutnerattack. The changes in speed of this game are making me think that maybe the Swiss are boring to watch the rest of the time on purpose.

65:02 That was the first indication this half that Switz wants anything more than a 1-0 win.

63:42 Yakin gets an open shot and a great ground save by Togo’s goalie sends them away with only a corner.

62:18 Togo has the ball taken from them, Switzerland can’t make anthing of it.

60:00 Togo seems ready to tie the game, they’re making good runs and getting open, the pesky swiss are just changing their attack a little bit every time and they can’t get good spacing.

57:25 Alexander Frei nearly comes through again with a goal, stays onside, but he can’t keep the ball down and it’s over the goal.

54:22 Switzerland appear to be just burning time off the clock. No real organization from Togo at the other end but Adebayor looks like he’s in control.

52:45 Yakin just misses the top left corner of the net and gets the boom camera. Looks pretty cool from the camera.

51:52 Togo showing composure and collection until Alaixys Romao tackles someone and earns a yellow.

49:41 Barnetta (switz) finishes a three player set up and gets a shot deflected over the keeper.

48:02 Trying to make a turn and send the ball upfield, Kassi Agassa (togo) just slips right out of bounds.

45:22 Togo’s country motto is “Work, Liberty, Homeland.” I find that just slightly less funny than Switzerland’s “All for one, one for all… as long as we can stay neutral and you don’t touch our banks.” And now back to the game.

45:00 Yakin in for Gygax on the Swiss side to start the half.

Halftime: After putting a goal in early, Switzerland has tried to slow the pace of the game down. But they’ve only been marginally successful as Adebayor seems capable of taking just about any two Swiss defenders with his size alone. The Swiss have a 1-0 lead but Togo is putting that in danger every few minutes. I’m thinking they’ll tie it up before too long.

45:00 Swiss player takes a cleat to the foot and sprays some water on it. One minute injury time and the half closes.

43:44 Everytime this game that Adebayor has been involved in a play something good has happened for Togo. Adebayor hasn’t gotten the ball for awhile.

42:23 The swiss “ole” chant is still going strong.

40:48 Kader making some nice runs at the goal. Pfister doing some nice sweating on the sideline.

39:11 Free kick for Togo from midfield and they attack down the middle, Mamam gets a shot off immediately from a long way out.

36:25 Togo gets a great chance but a tackle about two m out prevents the goal and several players hack at the ball with their feet about 3 m from the goal. Switz gets it out and gets a good look off of the counterattack. This up and down play can’t be what Switzerland wants.

34:31 Adebayor tripped up in the box but doesn’t get the call. His reaction probably spends more energy than the fall did, Pfister shows off some of his moves from the sideline.

33:36 There seems to be some Togo royalty in attendane today. Or at least guys with robes and crowns that the camera keeps cutting to.

31:50 Togo: one part brilliance mixed with two parts passes straight out of bounds.

29:25 Adebayor creates a bit of room for his open teammate and the cross is perfect. The intended man misses everything tying to send it towards the goal, but a Togo player is there for the follow. His shot misses, ricochets behind the goal and lodges in the net. Looks exactly like it went in, but no goal.

28:20 And yet there they go, with about 30 midfield passes.

27:32 A couple quick chances have reinvigorated Togo and the Swiss wil have their work cut out for them slowing this game.

26:31 Adebayor delivers the ball to Kader who gets an open shot but a bad angle on the goal, sending it straight into the goalie.

25:12 He plays for Togo, not Switzerland if you were wondering. Adebayor with a sweet pass to the front of the goal.

24:24 Moustapha Salifou is joining the game.

23:00 Togo will not fall for this kind of pace deadening trickery… will they?

20:50 Switzerland has succesfully slowed the game to a snail’s pace to protect their lead.

19:18 Switzerland is offsides and Togo sends the ball back up field and over the sideline.

18:17 Togo is offsides after a free kick at midfield.

15:55 Alexander Frei, standing directly in front of the goal, gets a one touch pass off his knee from a cross and the Swiss have the lead.

15:50 Goal Switzerland!

13:43 Adebayor seems to be asserting himself a little more, but neither Togo nor Swizerland can get much through the defenders. Togo gets a shot but there’s nothing behind it.

12:34 Switzerland’s attack is going to have to do more than just pass around the outside of the goal box. Even Togo can stand in front of the net.

11:15 We get our first Pfister shot and see that today’s wardrobe consists of a pink shirt (thankfully) buttoned up this time.

9:34 Adebayor shows why he’s playing in a major Euro league and beasts two Swiss players. Better timing on the cross might have made it a decent chance.

8:46 Switzerland still looking for their first goal of the tournament.

07:00 Switzerland gets a nice cross and a header straight to the Togo keeper.

05:04 Another long try, this time from Vogel. I think the swiss want to put a quick one in so they can go back to being methodical.
Togo’s Mohamed Kader turns the corner around the Defense and his shot is stopped by the keeper.

03:00 A lot of midfield play so far, Swiss might have the slight advantage. Cabanas for Switzerland comes through with a 35 m shot that Togo’s goalie stretches out and gets.
01:01 Togo’s absorbing nicely after the first play saw them running scared, I’d like to see a 3 goal performance out of them tonight and so far it looks possible.
00:00 We’re underway, and Swiss are applying pressure on the ball right away.

Looks like Togo captain Jean-Paul Abalo has to sit out this game after getting sent off against Korea.

8 mins, looks like Plenty of Swiss fans there today. And we finally get concrete proof that Togo showed up to the game.

10 mins to kick-off, we just got to see some insider footage of Switzerland’s practices. It appears they stretch a lot.

30 mins to kick-off, does anyone have any problems rooting for Togo after the recent walkout of Pfister and the money disputes with the players?

Pregame: Who do you predict will win?

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