At dawn on Thursday (20), Switzerland and Scotland drew 1-1 in the second round of Group A matches in Europe, with Scotland on four points from two matches and a bright future. Switzerland welcomed a legendary midfielder in this match - 32-year-old "six-year-old" Shakiri, who stunned the audience tonight with a brilliant world wave, and since 2014, Shakiri has scored in six consecutive international tournaments.
Having thrashed Scotland 5-1 in the opener, Scotland were significantly more aggressive in this match. Soon after the kick-off, Scotland initiated a frantic scrum to put Switzerland under immense pressure. On a quick counter-attack in the 13th minute, Andrew Robathan cleverly drove the ball to the left, where Carlin McKeegoe got the ball and McTomini quickly followed up with a shot. The ripple would have been enough, but Fabian Shoharon hooked the ball with his foot from the edge of the goal line and sent it deftly into his own goal to give Scotland the first break in the deadlock.
However, the mighty Scotland were dealt a blow in the 26th minute when defenseman Anthony Ruston inadvertently set himself up and Shakili grabbed the ball inside the penalty area to score. Switzerland then fought back and grew stronger. Danny Doyle went close in the 32nd minute, but Angus Genn darted out of the way. Immediately afterwards, Danny Doyle managed to put the ball into the net from a corner kick, but the referee decisively ruled it offside and the goal was disallowed. Greshart's long-range shot was blocked in the 42nd minute to leave the game tied 1-1 at halftime.
The pace of the game slipped quickly as both teams showed a desire to attack after the changeover. Swiss striker Danny Doyle managed to break through Kieran Tejani in the 58th minute and Angus Genn was carried off the pitch on a stretcher after sustaining an injury in defense. Scotland had a penalty kick opportunity in the 67th minute, with Glen Haney's header hitting the post. In the end, the two teams were once again deadlocked, shaking hands at 1-1.
