Chile too hot for 10-man Switzerland as they march on towards last-16
CHILE(1) vs SWITZERLAND(0)
MARK GONZALEZ’S late header broke the resistance of 10-man Switzerland and put Chile on the verge of a place in the last-16.
The former Liverpool winger headed home Estaban Paredas’ cross with 15 minutes to go
after the Swiss had West Ham’s Valon Behrami sent off.
It means Chile got top of Group H with two wins from two, and leaves them needing just a draw against pre-tournament group favourites Spain in Pretoria on Friday to top the group.
Striker Humberto Suazo set the tone with a booking in the opening minute, and eight more yellow cards followed in a scrappy game.
Behrami was dismissed on the half-hour after raising an arm to Arturo Vidal and from then on, the Swiss, surprise 1-0 victors over Spain in their opening match, were put on the defensive.
Switzerland surpassed Italy’s WorldCup clean sheet record, set between 1986 and 1990,
as Alexis Sanchez was twice denied, before Gonzalez brought it to an end when highest to steal victory.