Near-deafening Scottish goal threatens eardrums.
Switzerland falls short in qualifying for the round of 16 at the European Football Championship, drawing 1:1 against Scotland. Coach Murat Yakin's team can still overtake Germany in Group A and clinch the top spot, pending their final match. Scotland had their opportunities.
Switzerland advanced to the EM round of 16 thanks to Xherdan Shaqiri's stunning goal. The Swiss came up just short in their early advance to the knockout phase against Scotland, but before their last group stage match against Germany, they have a good shot at advancing. A victory on Sunday in Frankfurt would give them the group title.
Ex-Bayern star Shaqiri (26.) salvaged a point for Yakin's team with a stunning long-range strike following their initial win against Hungary. An own goal by Fabian Schär (13.) had given the Scots, eagerly cheered on by their legendary "Tartan Army" in Cologne, an early lead. The ARD measured the Scottish goal celebration at 110 decibels - a value near the pain threshold. To still harbor hopes of participating in the exciting tournament phase, the "Bravehearts" must win against Hungary in the final group stage match.
Approximately 30,000 Scottish fans gathered for a fan march to the Müngersdorfer Stadion for the match and continued cheering their team even after the final whistle. This team, invigorated by the electrifying atmosphere - unlike the 1:5 against Germany - in the initial phase, gave a promising performance.
Shaqiri strikes swiftly and brilliantly
Switzerland sought to assert control in the chaotic opening minutes. However, the ball continued to get stuck - and when the Scots countered for the first time, their fans erupted louder than ever. Schär made an unlucky own goal from Scott McTominay's shot. Switzerland recovered briefly. The team led by captain Granit Xhaka, whom Steve Clarke, the Scottish coach, had compared to Toni Kroos of the DFB prior to the match, found more and more control and eased the tense atmosphere slightly.
Anthony Ralston contributed to this with a poor pass in his own half. Shaqiri struck quickly and cleaned up from around 20 meters directly into the corner - a stunning goal. The Former Munich player, who was the only European to score in each of the past six major tournaments, had been on the bench against Hungary for 90 minutes and was now poised to make a difference.
The limited Scottish team attempted to play long balls into the channels, while the Swiss relied on combination play. The latter was riskier, but Silvan Widmer (28.) shot wide, and against Dan Ndoye (32.) and Xhaka (42.), the Scottish goalkeeper Angus Gunn made spectacular saves. Later, Ndoye (58.) should have scored the second goal, and Ruben Vargas (64) almost did as well. The Scots kept many players for defense, but they almost scored from a set piece through their second chance: Lawrence Shankland (67) struck the post.
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Switzerland's chances of clinching the group title in the European Football Championship 2024's group stage are still alive, as they need to defeat Germany in their final match to secure the top spot, following their draw against Scotland. This tournament is already full of excitement, and soccer fans worldwide are eagerly anticipating the action.
If Switzerland manages to win against Germany, Xherdan Shaqiri's stunning goal in the European Football Championship 2024 group stage will undoubtedly become one of the tournament's iconic moments, showcasing the beauty and skill of the beautiful game.
