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Switzerland move to top of Group G with 2-0 win over Togo
20/6/2006 11:14

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Match stewards take a fan away after he ran onto the pitch during a Group G match at the 2006 FIFA Football World Cup in Dortmund, Germany, June 19, 2006. Switzerland won 2-0. -Xinhua

Switzerland clinched their first World Cup win in Germany on Monday, beating Togo 2-0 despite a boring performance with nothing of an entertaining brand of football.

The first goal came in 16 minutes when Tranquillo Barnetta, at the far post, proded Ludovic Magnan's cross into the path of Alex Frei, who poked the balll into the net.

Barnetta made it 2-0 for the Swiss in the dying minutes, arrowing a sweet strike in at the far post after being set up by a straight away pass from substitute forward Mauro Lustrinelli, who got the ball on the left and stroked it along the width of the penalty area.

With the victory, Switzerland moved temporarily to the top of Group G standings alongside South Korea, who also have four points after beating Togo 2-1 in their World Cup opener and drawing 1-1 with France on Sunday, while Togo were sent packing with two losses from as many matches.

The World Cup debutants had put Monday's match in doubt with an aborted boycott launched by Togolese players, as they refused to board the bus on Sunday morning before being threatened with sanctions by FIFA and finally flying for Dortmund.

The Togo squad have been embroiled in a pay dispute since before the tournament started and has also endured turmoil with coach Otto Pfister leaving then being re-instated as coach.

In the do-or-die clash against Switzerland on Monday, Togo have been knocked out of their stride by the Swiss' opening goal and hardly touched the ball since.

Togo coach Otto Pfister was obviously not pleased by what his team played, making his first subtitute on as early as the 25th minute to replace Beveren midfielder Kuami Agboh with Stade Brest forward Moustapha Salifou.

But it's Togo that looked more dangerous in front of the opponents' goalmouth in the first half, while a penalty claim late in the first half from Emmenuel Adebayor, who left alone his duty of marking the Switzerland defender at set-pieces and concentrated in going forward, was turned down by Paraguayan referee Carlos Amarilla.

The Arsenal striker, impressive throught out the match, burst into the box and seemed to be tripped on 35 minutes, but Amarilla ruled it a dive as Adebayor's tumble was too dramatic.

There were other Adebayor Moments besides the "tackle". After just 6 minutes into the match, the 22-year-old headed a pass to Mohamed Kader, but the striker's lukewarm shot caused no trouble for Swiss keeper Pascal Zuberbuehler.

Four minutes later, Adebayor took advantage of an ill-timed slip by Ricardo Cabanas to rob the ball and burst into the penalty box. His cross was just too high for Mohamed Kader.

Adebayor then closed down the Swiss keeper and collided with him for no apparent reason, no harm done though.

Togo failed to get back into the game in the second half, only to give the Europeans an important victory.



Xinhua News