Through the dirt and the rain associated with Basel, Northern Ireland gave everything they had last night, but it was not enough for a goal against Switzerland and not enough for a place at the World Cup.
In almost impossible conditions Northern Ireland threw the lot in Switzerland but getting lost 1-0 in Belfast on Thursday, they needed to succeed this one. Above all else they needed a goal. But they could not score 1 and in truth they did not create sufficient chances. The nearest they came was at the first minute associated with added time, when Jonny Evans’ much post header had been hacked off the collection by Ricardo Rodriguez.
The margins are extremely fine in these two-legged play-offs and eventually this tie had been decided by the ludicrous penalty decision towards Corry Evans in Windsor Park. Which penalty was the only goal over three hours of football, and while Switzerland were the better team over the two legs, absolutely no much would have needed to go differently for Northern Ireland to be booking their plane tickets to Russia on Monday morning.
So this campaign, and getting this particular close to the World Cup, must be a great supply of pride for these players, staff and fans. Even if the match itself was not exactly top quality. Had it not really had the world traveling on it, it would have been written off as a farce, giving how hard it was to play football out there.
It had been pouring down rain sideways all day in Basel, and so the conditions were as difficult as the stakes were high. Despite the useless re-gritting of the cheap fifa 18 coins pitch beforehand, it was boggy and the ball struggled to move across the pitch. Mud spat up with every tackle. Inside minutes every player on the pitch had been soaked in dirt and there was always something slightly reduced league about this duel to get into the biggest display on earth.
This should possess helped Northern Ireland and they started using their direct purposeful football, making the most of Conor Washington’s willingness to run themself into the mud. This individual tried to pressure Switzerland back and Chris Brunt tested Yann Sommer with two rockets through 30-yards.
But Switzerland, to their credit, found a way to play their own football even out on this sticky pitch. The wingers Steven Zuber and Xherdan Shaqiri kept on coming -- they were simply more powerful and quicker than their visitors -- and they created more than enough chances to kill the tie. Zuber failed to turn in the Shaqiri cross, Gareth McAuley had to stab away Blerim Dzemaili’s cross, Haris Seferovic hit one into the side netting,
Having a flurry of chances late in the very first half, Switzerland had Northern Ireland within the ropes but could not finish them off. Shaqiri’s shot pushed Michael McGovern down low to save, Seferovic’s header hit Zuber, Zuber himself had a shot saved by McGovern’s legs before flashing another effort wide.
But the longer the game went on in 0-0, the buy fut 18 coins more moved Northern Ireland were. They only needed to nick one to make game to extra time. Switzerland knew it and started to escape as the second 1 / 2 went on. Jamie Keep surged down the right and crossed in order to Washington, whose header beat Sommer but flew just wide of the post. Washington was tiring but next up he still spun their way down the actual left and handed down to George Saville, who could not get enough power on his shot.
The game obtained worse as it continued though, the players’ legs exhausted by having to slog with the mud. Michaeol O’Neill threw on Michael jordan Jones and Josh Magennis, hoping one of these could spark something in the final third. Switzerland had lots of chances to kill it but Northern Ireland did possess their one real chance, right at the very end. Evans got up at the far post, heading towards goal, but Rodriguez volleyed it off the line. These were centimetres away from taking the tie to extra time, but as they know, being the wrong side of a margin that fine is not sufficient.
Switzerland (4-2-3-1): Sommer; Lichtsteiner, Schar, Akanji, Rodriguez; Zakaria, Xhaka; Shaqiri (Freuler, 80), Dzemaili (Mehmedi, 61), Zuber; Seferovic (Embolo, 87)
Northern Ireland (4-5-1): McGovern; Hughes, Evans, McAuley, Brunts; Ward (Jones, 75), Davis, Norwood (Magennis, 75), Saville, Dallas; Washington
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