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Reuters
Reuters
Sport

Soggy Swiss thrash Andorra to maintain perfect record

Soccer Football - 2018 World Cup Qualifications - Europe - Switzerland vs Andorra - St. Gallen, Switzerland - August 31, 2017 Switzerland's Haris Seferovic celebrates scoring their first goal REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann

ST GALLEN, Switzerland (Reuters) - Switzerland made it seven wins out of seven in their World Cup qualifying group when they beat Andorra 3-0 helped by a double from Haris Seferovic in a rain-soaked match which was twice interrupted to clear water off the pitch on Thursday.

Group B leaders Switzerland have 21 points, three ahead of Portugal who beat the Faroe Islands 5-1. Third-placed Hungary beat Latvia 3-1 to reach 10 points.

Even after an army of helpers swept water off the pitch, conditions were barely playable as the ball got stuck in puddles and the players splashed around.

Soccer Football - 2018 World Cup Qualifications - Europe - Switzerland vs Andorra - St. Gallen, Switzerland - August 31, 2017 Switzerland's Haris Seferovic scores their second goal REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann

The Swiss went ahead in the 43rd minute when Haris Seferovic headed in after Xherdan Shaqiri managed to lift a cross into the Andorra area.

The second goal by Seferovic in the 62nd summed up the evening as Andorra's attempts to clear the ball were hampered by the water on the pitch.

Admir Mehmedi's cross evaded two players and was cleared off the line by a defender but went only as far as Eren Derdiyok who himself miscued before another defender sent the ball straight to Seferovic who stabbed it into the net from close range.

Soccer Football - 2018 World Cup Qualifications - Europe - Switzerland vs Andorra - St. Gallen, Switzerland - August 31, 2017 Switzerland's Xherdan Shaqiri, Denis Zakaria and Manuel Akanji celebrate after the match REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann

Stephan Lichtsteiner headed the third, with the Swiss guaranteed at least the runners-up spot.

The group winners qualify directly for Russia while the eight best second-placed teams in the nine groups go into a playoff round.

The group ends with a showdown between Portugal and the Swiss in Lisbon on Oct. 10.

(Writing by Brian Homewood; editing by Ken Ferris)

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