Switzerland will look to finish off its World Cup qualification campaign on a high note when it takes on Slovenia on Tuesday.
The Swiss have already clinched the top spot in Group E and are headed to Brazil next summer. It is the third straight World Cup that the team has qualified for; Switzerland only qualified for one tournament between 1966 and 2006.
"I have to thank the team and my staff," said Swiss coach Ottmar Hitzfeld according to UEFA. "Thanks must also go to [Swiss Football Association president] Peter Gilliéron for giving me another chance after missing out on qualification for EURO 2012."
"We were happy when the match was finally over and we had done it. It is a huge feeling for all of us," added Swiss star Zherdan Shaqiri. "We are very hungry to play at the World Cup. You could see that we have a great team and we will also play good football in Brazil and hopefully make an impact there."
Switzerland knows that its final game will be no cakewalk as it will face a Slovenian side that is in desperate need of points. Slovenia sits one point behind Iceland, a team that could clinch the playoff spot with a win over Norway on Tuesday. However, the Norwegians are bound to give Iceland trouble and a loss or draw for Iceland coupled with a win by Slovenia against Switzerland would give the Slovenians a playoff spot. The team qualified for the World Cup in 2010 via the same route and took down Russia in the two-legged playoff.
Prediction: Switzerland manages a 1-1 draw.
Start Time: Kick-off starts at 2 p.m. EST
Watch Live Stream HERE.
- Contribute to this Story:
- Send us a tip
- Send us a photo or video
- Suggest a correction