Switzerland had shouldered a great weight of history and the parallels had looked clear. One of the nation’s greatest results had come against Romania, in the second group tie at the 1994 World Cup, when a thumping 4-1 victory got them through to the last 16. A guy called Roy Hodgson was their manager at the time.
The challenge here for Vladimir Petkovic and his players was to write a new chapter of success; to fire qualification to the knockout phase of the European Championship for the first time.
They did not manage to emulate Alain Sutter and the class of 94 in terms of the result or performance but, in this expanded championship, where so few teams fall at the group phase, the draw – on the back of their 1-0 victory over Albania last Saturday – ought to be enough to send them through.
Switzerland were the better team, they were the more forward-thinking and, after the criticism that followed the disjointed performance against Albania, who had played for most of the game with 10 men, Petkovic could feel happier.
This was a glimpse of the team’s potential and in Granit Xhaka, Arsenal’s new midfield signing, Switzerland had the game’s outstanding talent. It was a pleasure to watch his range of passing. Like all of the best players Xhaka seems to have an extra second or two on the ball, before any tackles come in on him.
The downside was Switzerland’s profligacy. They created a clutch of presentable chances only for a mixture of poor finishing and the reactions of Ciprian Tatarusanu, the Romania goalkeeper, to thwart them.
“We will not create eight good chances against France,” Xhaka said, looking ahead to his team’s final Group A tie. “We have to start scoring. It is the last wheel in our system.”
Switzerland’s goal was a beauty and it came from Admir Mehmedi, after Ricardo Rodríguez’s corner had ricocheted off Johan Djourou. Mehmedi’s technique was perfect and his left-foot shot flew into the far corner of the net.
It cancelled out Bogdan Stancu’s 18th-minute penalty for a Romania team who could also have regrets, not least in the shape of the two clear chances they passed up midway though the first half. Alexandru Chipciu cut inside and banged a right-foot shot past the far post and Cristian Sapunaru spun and clipped the far upright, after Gabriel Torje’s free-kick had sparked panic.
Romania showed resilience and fight – they had four players booked – and the main thing was that they did not lose. With Albania to come, they, too, retain a shot at the last 16. Once again, however, they were unhinged by a wonder goal. Their 2-1 defeat by France on the opening night, when they had performed creditably, was triggered by Dimitri Payet’s 89th-minute rocket.
Anghel Iordanescu had been Romania’s manager at the 1994 World Cup and here, in his third spell in charge, he made sweeping and surprising changes from the France game. Among the four players he rested was the No10, Nicolae Stanciu, who had excelled in the opening match. Iordanescu said his players had been “suffering physically” with the matches coming so close together.
Romania went ahead early on and, as against France, their goal was a penalty. Stephan Lichtsteiner had Chipciu’s shirt, and it was no mere grab, which was enough for the Russian referee, Sergei Karasev. As against France again, Stancu converted. “If you whistle for that, then you will have a lot of penalties,” Petkovic complained. Lichtsteiner, though, ought to have been smarter.
By then Switzerland could and should have been in front but, from two excellent chances, Haris Seferovic could not finish. First he tricked inside Vlad Chiriches to open up the shooting chance, only to put his effort wide and then, confronted by Tatarusanu, he was denied by the goalkeeper.
It was lively and entertaining, if not particularly structured, which was no bad thing for the neutral. Switzerland had further first-half chances, with Fabian Schär working Tatarusanu from 25 yards and Blerim Dzemaili heading wide when gloriously placed on 39 minutes, from Lichtsteiner’s cross.
Romania have been notoriously parsimonious; they conceded only twice in their 10 qualification ties and Switzerland faced a test of their mettle. They would have been further behind in the 52nd minute were it not for a crucial intervention by Djourou, who stretched to put Torje’s volleyed cross behind for a corner. Behind him, for what would have been a tap-in, had been Claudiu Keseru.
Mehmedi’s equaliser came at a moment when the substitute, Breel Embolo, was stripped and ready to come on. Embolo had replaced Mehmedi in the Albania game and it was easy to think Petkovic was about to make the same change. After Mehmedi’s shot had hit the net, Petkovic stood Embolo down.
The 19-year-old would replace Seferovic in the 64th minute. Switzerland pressed for the winner but they did not truly threaten it. Mehmedi’s goal had lit up the occasion.
