The Swiss will be making their World Cup debut—having never before qualified for a major tournament—so not much is expected, nor should be expected. Switzerland will obviously attempt to be competitive, and by a stroke of luck, the group draw was quite favourable aside from having to face Japan—who are the reigning world champions. However, the Swiss (#19 ranked by FIFA) should be favoured over their remaining group opponents (Ecuador #46 and Cameroon #52).
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Roster
Goalkeepers: Stenia Michel, Gaëlle Thalmann and Jennifer Oehrli
Defenders: Caroline Abbé, Sandra Betschart, Rahel Kiwic, Selina Kuster, Noëlle Maritz, Nicole Remund, Rachel Rinast and Daniela Schwarz
Midfielders: Vanessa Bernauer, Vanessa Bürki, Fabienne Humm, Florijana Ismaili, Martina Moser, Lia Wälti and Cinzia Zehnder
Forwards: Eseosa Aigbogun, Ramona Bachmann, Ana-Maria Crnogorčević, Barla Deplazes and Lara Dickenmann
Coach
As a player, Martina Voss-Tecklenberg ws highly regarded—both club and international levels—in her native Germany as one of the best in business. As a coach, the German has won the UEFA Women’s Cup and two national titles with her old club FCR 2001 Duisburg.
Schedule
June 8: vs. Japan in Vancouver
June 12: vs. Ecuador in Vancouver
June 16: vs. Cameroon in Edmonton
How they qualified
Finished top of their qualifying group with an unbeaten record—nine wins, one draw—beating out Denmark (#12 FIFA) and Iceland (#20 FIFA). The Swiss averaged over five goals-per-game (53 goals in total) and posted nine clean sheets.
Team strengths
Being drawn into this weak group was a huge plus. The Swiss were incredibly fortunate for the favourable draw, as they are miles ahead of Ecuador and Cameroon.
Team weaknesses
Inexperience will be Switzerland’s biggest problem. Should they get blown out by Japan in the opener, it could cause a domino effect that could lead to a swift exit. Qualification was a breeze, so it will be interesting to see how the team deals with adversity.
Player to watch
An Ohio State alumni, Lara Dickenmann made her international debut with the senior team at 16 in 2002. The 29 year-old is just shy of averaging a goal every two games—a remarkable feat considering she’s not a forward. Dickenmann scored 10 goals for Switzerland in qualifying. Having been a part of many unsuccessful attempts at qualification—World Cup and Euro Cup—its nice to see her finally get to participate on the big stage.
Burning question
Will the Swiss be able to keep their focus? It’s easy to get lost in the moment of this grand occasion, though, they mustn’t settle on simply being a passenger along for the ride. The opportunity to overachieve is there to be seized.
Prospects
Advancing to the second round is within their reach, which would be a major accomplishment for the Swiss. However, that’s where Switzerland’s inaugural campaign will end.
World Cup history
1991 – Did not qualify
1995 – Did not qualify
1999 – Did not qualify
2003 – Did not qualify
2007 – Did not qualify
2011 – Did not qualify