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Colombia,
Switzerland in final 4
By KUNLE SOLAJA, Ijebu-Ode and PAUL ORUDE, Bauchi
Monday, November 9, 2009
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•Turkey’s
captain, Mohammed Demir (9) on the ball with Columbia’s
Stephen Mendoza, during a quarter-final match in Bauchi
on Sunday
Photo: The Sun Publishing |
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Colombia kept up their late dramatic turn around at the FIFA
Under-17 World Cup, equalising against Turkey in the dying
seconds of their quarter-final in Bauchi and winning out on
6-5 penalties after extra-time session. Ten-man Switzerland
squad also edged out Italy with a 2-1 victory at Ijebu-Ode.
After coming back from a two-goal deficit to beat Argentina
in the Round of 16, Colombia have firmly established themselves
as the masters of the late show ahead of a semi-final date
with either Italy or Switzerland
After a desultory opening ten minutes, the Colombians had
the first real chance when the livewire Fabian Castillo wriggled
his way into the right side of the box and forced Turkey's
England-based goalkeeper Deniz Mehmet into a fine sliding
save.
From there on out though, it was the Europeans who controlled
the pace and nature of proceedings. And the Turks took a well-deserved
lead after 20 minutes when a well-lofted free-kick from Enjin
Bekdemir flew dangerously into the Colombian penalty area
and was met by the unmarked Muhammet Demir, who headed home
his third goal of these finals from eight yards out.
Meanwhile, Switzerland had exceeded everyone's' expectation,
coming in as debutants and remained the only side of the three
new entrants into the semi-finals to face Colombia in Lagos
on Thursday.
Their path to the last four is littered with charred bodies
of bigger football nations - Brazil, Mexico and Germany and
now Italy, who they beat squarely.
Playing in Lagos is a sort of home-coming for a team that
started the race in Lagos and had played most of their games
in that city.
It is the second time the Italians will fall to the skills
of the Swiss. Both had met six months ago at the finals of
UEFA Under 17 championships. Switzerland won 3-1. In Ijebu-Ode,
they repeated their victory in a keenly contested quarter
finals duel in which the capacity crowd was well thrilled.
Prior to their meeting in the land of Awujale of Ijebuland,
the two neighbouring European countries have not squared up
in a FIFA competition since the 1962 World Cup. On that occasion
47 years ago, Italy, one of the global football powers, had
a convincing 3-0 win. But in other European competitions,
the Swiss had always proved difficult, winning all three encounters
including a 2-1 victory at the quarter finals of the 1924
Men's Olympic Football Tournament 1924.
In winning on Sunday, the Under 17 team of Switzerland have
created their own record, becoming the first Swiss side to
win five matches in a row in a FIFA competition. The previous
record of three consecutive victories was achieved at the
1924 Olympic Games in Paris.
From the right flank Janick Kamber made a curving cross that
was saved in the 24th minute. Attack repelled, but the Swiss
re-launched the offensive from the left flank and a cross
found Nassim Ben Khalifa who jabbed past an advancing goalkeeper
Perin.
The Italians fought back gamely and levelled up from a direct
free kick taken in the 32nd minute by Federico Carraro. Thereafter
began a ding-dung affair. But in the 42nd minute the Swiss
missed a clear chance when a shot from Roman Buess glanced
out of target after an advancing keeper Perin had been beaten.
The second half opened with ferocious attack from both sides.
The Italians were first on the offensive and almost getting
the leader in the 47th minute, Ricardo Rodriguez pulled the
ball back from the goal line.
Play resumed and the Italians pressed harder. But the Swiss
did not lie down waiting for them, they too went on the offensive.
Their efforts paid off in the 62nd minute when Oliver Buff
put them in the lead again. The Italians instantly fought
back, forcing the Swiss to foul and necessitating the expulsion
of Skipper Frederic Veseli and a penalty kick award to Italy
in the 62nd minute.
Poor Italian striker Marco Fossati ! He saw his grounder of
a penalty kick saved by Goalkeeper Benjamin Siegrist.
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