Steve Foster
Well-known member
The inaugural match in Group E sees Switzerland (seeded) meet Ecuador.
SWITZERLAND
How do they play?
Style & formation: Switzerland play a neat passing game and press the opposition. They display far more urgency and attacking intent than the Swiss side criticised for defensive tactics at the last World Cup.
The two central midfielders keep a disciplined shape in front of the back four, although one will drive forward when the Swiss attack. The left-footed Xherdan Shaqiri starts wide on the right in a 4-2-3-1 system but regularly drifts into central positions, allowing marauding right-back Stephan Lichtsteiner to venture down the wing. The link-up play between the two is a key part of the team's attacking arsenal.
Strengths: Bayern Munich's Shaqiri is one of the most highly-regarded young players in Europe and he is among seven members of Switzerland's strongest XI who played for a top-six club in Italy or Germany this season. Full-backs Lichtsteiner and Ricardo Rodriguez are a class pairing; they encapsulate the team's energy and provided the most goal assists by a defender in their respective leagues this season.
Weaknesses: There are fitness and quality concerns in central defence and the team can be vulnerable to the counter attack, especially down the right due to Lichtsteiner bombing forward and Shaqiri not tracking back. Josip Drmic may be the top-class striker they need but he's unproven at international level.
Key player
Kosovo-born Xherdan Shaqiri , 22, is still part of the supporting cast at Bayern Munich but he takes a lead role for Switzerland as their key creative force.
An instinctive player, the stocky left-footed livewire starts wide on the right but regularly roams infield. Three hamstring tears this season are a concern.
One to watch
Josip Drmic could be the answer to Switzerland's prayers for a top striker. A stellar 2013-14 season included two goals in the March friendly against his parents' native Croatia and 17 goals for Nurnberg, earning him a move to Bayer Leverkusen.
The boss
Ottmar Hitzfeld will retire after the World Cup, six years after taking charge. The German, 65, has infused the side with youth since the failure to qualify for Euro 2012 and he says: "This is a team that doesn't hide. We are willing to take risks." His 19 major club trophies include two Champions League titles.
How they qualified
Switzerland qualified with a match to spare for the first time, finishing unbeaten in a relatively weak group and keeping clean sheets in seven of their 10 matches.
World Cup record
The Swiss have reached three quarter-finals, but none since hosting the tournament in 1954.
In 2010, they failed to get out of their group despite an opening 1-0 win over champions Spain.
Fifa ranking: 6
Possible starting XI
Squad
Goalkeepers: Diego Benaglio (Wolfsburg), Roman Buerki (Grasshopper), Yann Sommer (Basel).
Defenders: Johan Djourou (Hamburg), Michael Lang (Grasshopper), Stephan Lichtsteiner (Juventus), Ricardo Rodriguez (Wolfsburg), Fabian Schaer (Basel), Philippe Senderos (Valencia), Steve von Bergen (Young Boys), Reto Ziegler (Sassuolo).
Midfielders: Tranquillo Barnetta (Eintracht Frankfurt), Valon Behrami (Napoli), Blerim Dzemaili (Napoli), Gelson Fernandes (Freiburg), Gokhan Inler (Napoli), Xherdan Shaqiri (Bayern Munich), Valentin Stocker (Basel).
Forwards: Josip Drmic (Nuremberg), Mario Gavranovic (Zurich), Admir Mehmedi (Freiburg), Haris Seferovic (Real Sociedad), Granit Xhaka (Borussia Monchengladbach).
ECUADOR
Prospects
Ecuador's World Cup plan hinges on wingers and a prayer. They shift the ball out quickly to the flanks, where captain Antonio Valencia offers pace and power down the right and Jefferson Montero is full of daring and dribbles on the left. The full-backs join in as auxiliary wingers, a position they often play for their clubs.
The tactic can be effective, particularly on the counter attack, but playing with two wide men and two forwards leaves a ponderous central defence exposed.
The death of forward Christian Benitez last summer has also upset the balance of the side, with no like-for-like replacement available.
Key player
Unplayable at times, infuriating at others, left winger Jefferson Montero is pivotal to Ecuador's prospects of advancing to the knockout stage. Coach Reinaldo Rueda is constantly on his case to become more consistent but admits: "He's the kind of player spectators love to watch because he plays like a kid in the street, throwing opponents off balance."
Mexico-based Montero, 24, has been linked with a summer move to Europe.
One to watch
Midfielder Christhian Noboa is integral to Ecuador's modus operandi. The 29-year-old has the vision and range of passing to supply the wingers and also has the task of protecting Ecuador's suspect centre-backs.
Noboa, of Dynamo Moscow, ate some snow on his first day in Russia seven years ago and was sick for the next week.
The boss
Colombian Reinaldo Rueda was appointed in 2010 after guiding Ecuador's Group E opponents Honduras to their first World Cup for 28 years in South Africa. Rueda's first year in charge of Ecuador was disastrous and he hurriedly reshaped the team after they failed to win a game at the 2011 Copa America
How they qualified
Ecuador were second in the South American standings after 10 matches but only won one of their last six matches. Crucially, that victory in the penultimate fixture was against nearest rivals Uruguay to all but secure the last automatic qualifying spot.
Coach Reinaldo Rueda dedicated the achievement to key forward Christian Benitez, who died suddenly last July from heart failure.
They only dropped two points in Quito, the altitude sickness-inducing capital, but failed to win a single away game.
World Cup record
Ecuador's first World Cup was 2002, when they finished bottom of their group. Four years later, they won two group games but lost to England in the last 16.
Fifa ranking: 26
Squad
Goalkeepers: Maximo Banguera (Barcelona SC), Alexander Dominguez (LDU Quito), Adrian Bone (El Nacional).
Defenders: Frickson Erazo (Flamengo), Jorge Guagua, Oscar Bagui, Gabriel Achilier (all Emelec), Walter Ayovi (Pachuca), Juan Carlos Paredes (Barcelona SC).
Midfielders: Segundo Castillo (Al-Hilal), Carlos Gruezo (Stuttgart), Renato Ibarra (Vitesse Arnhem), Cristian Noboa (Dynamo Moscow), Luis Saritama (Barcelona SC), Antonio Valencia (Manchester United), Edison Mendez (Independiente Santa Fe), Fidel Martinez (Tijuana), Michael Arroyo (Atlante).
Forwards: Felipe Caicedo (Al-Jazira), Jefferson Montero (Morelia), Joao
Rojas (Cruz Azul), Jaime Ayovi (Tijuana), Enner Valencia (Pachuca).
SWITZERLAND
How do they play?
Style & formation: Switzerland play a neat passing game and press the opposition. They display far more urgency and attacking intent than the Swiss side criticised for defensive tactics at the last World Cup.
The two central midfielders keep a disciplined shape in front of the back four, although one will drive forward when the Swiss attack. The left-footed Xherdan Shaqiri starts wide on the right in a 4-2-3-1 system but regularly drifts into central positions, allowing marauding right-back Stephan Lichtsteiner to venture down the wing. The link-up play between the two is a key part of the team's attacking arsenal.
Strengths: Bayern Munich's Shaqiri is one of the most highly-regarded young players in Europe and he is among seven members of Switzerland's strongest XI who played for a top-six club in Italy or Germany this season. Full-backs Lichtsteiner and Ricardo Rodriguez are a class pairing; they encapsulate the team's energy and provided the most goal assists by a defender in their respective leagues this season.
Weaknesses: There are fitness and quality concerns in central defence and the team can be vulnerable to the counter attack, especially down the right due to Lichtsteiner bombing forward and Shaqiri not tracking back. Josip Drmic may be the top-class striker they need but he's unproven at international level.
Key player
Kosovo-born Xherdan Shaqiri , 22, is still part of the supporting cast at Bayern Munich but he takes a lead role for Switzerland as their key creative force.
An instinctive player, the stocky left-footed livewire starts wide on the right but regularly roams infield. Three hamstring tears this season are a concern.
One to watch
Josip Drmic could be the answer to Switzerland's prayers for a top striker. A stellar 2013-14 season included two goals in the March friendly against his parents' native Croatia and 17 goals for Nurnberg, earning him a move to Bayer Leverkusen.
The boss
Ottmar Hitzfeld will retire after the World Cup, six years after taking charge. The German, 65, has infused the side with youth since the failure to qualify for Euro 2012 and he says: "This is a team that doesn't hide. We are willing to take risks." His 19 major club trophies include two Champions League titles.
How they qualified
Switzerland qualified with a match to spare for the first time, finishing unbeaten in a relatively weak group and keeping clean sheets in seven of their 10 matches.
World Cup record
The Swiss have reached three quarter-finals, but none since hosting the tournament in 1954.
In 2010, they failed to get out of their group despite an opening 1-0 win over champions Spain.
Fifa ranking: 6
Possible starting XI
Squad
Goalkeepers: Diego Benaglio (Wolfsburg), Roman Buerki (Grasshopper), Yann Sommer (Basel).
Defenders: Johan Djourou (Hamburg), Michael Lang (Grasshopper), Stephan Lichtsteiner (Juventus), Ricardo Rodriguez (Wolfsburg), Fabian Schaer (Basel), Philippe Senderos (Valencia), Steve von Bergen (Young Boys), Reto Ziegler (Sassuolo).
Midfielders: Tranquillo Barnetta (Eintracht Frankfurt), Valon Behrami (Napoli), Blerim Dzemaili (Napoli), Gelson Fernandes (Freiburg), Gokhan Inler (Napoli), Xherdan Shaqiri (Bayern Munich), Valentin Stocker (Basel).
Forwards: Josip Drmic (Nuremberg), Mario Gavranovic (Zurich), Admir Mehmedi (Freiburg), Haris Seferovic (Real Sociedad), Granit Xhaka (Borussia Monchengladbach).
ECUADOR
Prospects
Ecuador's World Cup plan hinges on wingers and a prayer. They shift the ball out quickly to the flanks, where captain Antonio Valencia offers pace and power down the right and Jefferson Montero is full of daring and dribbles on the left. The full-backs join in as auxiliary wingers, a position they often play for their clubs.
The tactic can be effective, particularly on the counter attack, but playing with two wide men and two forwards leaves a ponderous central defence exposed.
The death of forward Christian Benitez last summer has also upset the balance of the side, with no like-for-like replacement available.
Key player
Unplayable at times, infuriating at others, left winger Jefferson Montero is pivotal to Ecuador's prospects of advancing to the knockout stage. Coach Reinaldo Rueda is constantly on his case to become more consistent but admits: "He's the kind of player spectators love to watch because he plays like a kid in the street, throwing opponents off balance."
Mexico-based Montero, 24, has been linked with a summer move to Europe.
One to watch
Midfielder Christhian Noboa is integral to Ecuador's modus operandi. The 29-year-old has the vision and range of passing to supply the wingers and also has the task of protecting Ecuador's suspect centre-backs.
Noboa, of Dynamo Moscow, ate some snow on his first day in Russia seven years ago and was sick for the next week.
The boss
Colombian Reinaldo Rueda was appointed in 2010 after guiding Ecuador's Group E opponents Honduras to their first World Cup for 28 years in South Africa. Rueda's first year in charge of Ecuador was disastrous and he hurriedly reshaped the team after they failed to win a game at the 2011 Copa America
How they qualified
Ecuador were second in the South American standings after 10 matches but only won one of their last six matches. Crucially, that victory in the penultimate fixture was against nearest rivals Uruguay to all but secure the last automatic qualifying spot.
Coach Reinaldo Rueda dedicated the achievement to key forward Christian Benitez, who died suddenly last July from heart failure.
They only dropped two points in Quito, the altitude sickness-inducing capital, but failed to win a single away game.
World Cup record
Ecuador's first World Cup was 2002, when they finished bottom of their group. Four years later, they won two group games but lost to England in the last 16.
Fifa ranking: 26
Squad
Goalkeepers: Maximo Banguera (Barcelona SC), Alexander Dominguez (LDU Quito), Adrian Bone (El Nacional).
Defenders: Frickson Erazo (Flamengo), Jorge Guagua, Oscar Bagui, Gabriel Achilier (all Emelec), Walter Ayovi (Pachuca), Juan Carlos Paredes (Barcelona SC).
Midfielders: Segundo Castillo (Al-Hilal), Carlos Gruezo (Stuttgart), Renato Ibarra (Vitesse Arnhem), Cristian Noboa (Dynamo Moscow), Luis Saritama (Barcelona SC), Antonio Valencia (Manchester United), Edison Mendez (Independiente Santa Fe), Fidel Martinez (Tijuana), Michael Arroyo (Atlante).
Forwards: Felipe Caicedo (Al-Jazira), Jefferson Montero (Morelia), Joao
Rojas (Cruz Azul), Jaime Ayovi (Tijuana), Enner Valencia (Pachuca).
