Swiss to go all out against complacent Portugal

Switzerland’s last Group A match follows a 1-0 loss to the Czech Republic and a tough 2-1 defeat to Turkey.

Portugal doesn’t have much on the line after having already secured top spot by beating the Turks 2-0 and the Czechs 3-1, which is just as well since the players are coming to terms with coach Luiz Felipe Scolari’s announcement that he is set to join Chelsea after the tournament.

Scolari could use the game to rest some of his key players and give his backup squad members some playing time.

“That could make it more difficult,” Switzerland defender Patrick Mueller said. “The players on the bench want to show what they can do so they can get on the pitch.” Scolari said after beating the Czechs that he would carefully consider his options for Sunday’s match.

“We will think about it,” the Brazilian coach said. “We still have some things to adjust, but the victory gives us the opportunity to organise ourselves.”

Most of Portugal’s players are coming off a long European season with their clubs and could use some rest. Manchester United winger Cristiano Ronaldo and Chelsea defenders Paulo Ferreira, Jose Bosingwa and Ricardo Carvalho joined the squad late because their clubs reached the Champions League final.

“Lets see, now we have peace because we already advanced,” said Scolari, who gave no hints about his line-up in Portugal’s practice session in Neuchatel on Friday. No matter who gets to start, players said they will be motivated. Portugal will play to win,” defender Fernando Meira said. “That’s what Portugal tries to do in every game. I don’t understand this idea that the players might enter more relaxed or with indifference.”

Despite the solid performances in the first two matches, much of the talk at the Portuguese camp over the past two days was on Chelsea’s surprise announcement.

“It’s not going to be a problem for us because we still have him until the end of the European Championship,” Meira said. “It’s important the team thinks only about the football part. We have him until June 30.” Switzerland enters tomorrow’s match short on attacking options, with captain and record scorer Alexander Frei out of the tournament since tearing a left knee ligament in the opening loss to the Czech Republic.

Marco Streller re-aggravated a groin injury in that match and also will be absent. His replacement against Turkey, Eren Derdiyok, is questionable with a sprained left ankle.

If the 20-year-old Derdiyok fails to make it, the Swiss are left with only attacking midfielder Hakan Yakin and winger Johan Vonlanthen as forward options.

The rest of the squad is fit, but Kuhn may use the final match to give reserves some playing time.

Switzerland became only the second European Championship host eliminated before the final four. Euro 2000 co-host Belgium also failed to get through the group stage.

The match against Portugal will be the last at the helm for the 64-year-old Kuhn, who will be replaced after the tournament by Bayern Munich’s Ottmar Hitzfeld. Kuhn has been the Switzerland coach since 2001.

The Swiss, in the final phase of the European tournament for the third time, began the tournament boosted by appearances at Euro 2004 and in the 2006 World Cup, when it fell to Ukraine in the second round despite not allowing a goal.

Portugal is trying to at least match its campaign of four years ago, when it lost the final on home soil to Greece. Two years later, it reached the 2006 World Cup semi-finals and lost to France.