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It only took 17 minutes for Switzerland to self destruct against France in the second round of matches in Group E. France easily advanced to the round of 16, which has to be refreshing for Les Bleus supporters after their debacle in the 2010 World Cup.
This picture sums up just how bad a day it was for the Swiss. (Photo: @SidelinesTS | Twitter)
It was an entertaining game with plenty of action which included saved penalties, blood, crossbar shots and plenty of counters. Olivier Giroud forced Swiss defender Philippe Senderos off the pitch after catching him with a cleat that spurred massive amounts of blood from Senderos’ face. And it never got easier for the Swiss.
Olivier Giroud soared over Swiss defenders, placing a perfect header past goalkeeper Diego Benaglio to start the scoring.
And, only 67 seconds later, the Swiss coughed up possession - leading to a soft goal by Blaise Matuidi.
Things didn’t get easier, but a little luck did come the Swiss’s way after Karim Benzema earned a penalty kick. Benaglio saved the penalty and the crossbar helped him on a rebound try by Yohan Cabaye.
The Swiss could not handle the French counter, though. Eight minutes after the missed penalty, France stormed down the pitch in nine touches, ending in an easy tap in for Mathieu Valbuena.
The second half was just as bad. The Switzerland defense was helpless, looking like Swiss cheese. France went on to score two more with ease without ever really seeing a threat in the their own half. Looking at their performance, it is hard not to add France to the list of contenders. Why not? Yes, they beat a worse 10-man Honduras team, but they have always played perfectly, which is all you can do no matter who your opponent is. Paul Pogba didn’t even step on to the pitch for Les Bleus, so they are a force going forward. As for the Swiss, despite their dreadful performance, they're still alive.
