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It looks haunted! Even before the decisive match of the women’s national team of Leuven against Belgium comes the first shocking news: the starting goalkeeper Gaël Thalmann is out for Corona! Nati coach Nils Nielsen leads Freiburg keeper Elvira Herzog.
And then it is Herzog who is sailing on his side against the Belgians after just over 20 minutes. Tine De Caigny benefits, says Merci and nods – 1-0 for Belgium.
The next Swiss shock follows only a little later. Lia Wälti, captain and service provider, has to leave the field injured following a collision. Five minutes later, Belgium scores 2-0, again De Caigny scores.
Switzerland, which would have needed at least one point in Leuven to win the group and the EM ticket, eventually lost 4-0.
Do we have to go to the playoffs?
Goodbye EM dreams? Not at all. As one of the best runners-up in the group, Swiss women can directly qualify for the 2022 tournament in England. But as there are still open matches in other groups, this won’t be decided until 2021.
The national team still threatens the detour through the playoffs next spring. And this brings back bad memories: two years ago in the World Cup qualifiers, the Swiss lost a good starting position in the last two games and then failed in the playoffs.
But this time it won’t happen because the team is now “more mature and more mature” than it was then, assured Lia Wälti ahead of the match in Belgium. Hope lives. You can still dream of participating in a major tournament for the first time since 2017. (mom)
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