Swiss seek decisive success

French defeat
Bernard Challandes' side suffered a 3-0 defeat by France in Schaffhausen, which confirmed the visitors as Group 4 winners. To join them in the qualifying play-offs, the Swiss must win at Tolka Park in Dublin, thereby moving alongside Israel on 15 points but with the advantage in head-to-head contests between the sides.

Lack of cohesion
To do that, Switzerland must produce a much-improved performance. At times on Friday, their players looked more a collection of individual talents than a coherent team unit, and the French were able to pick them off almost at will to earn a deserved victory. Challandes is clear in his aim for the visit to Ireland, saying: "I want to see a reaction."

Senior example
The coach expects much better in Dublin, and does not have far to look for role models. Switzerland's senior side drew 1-1 against France on Saturday, and Challandes is hoping his players will take heart from that battling display, saying: "I hope we can be inspired by what our A team did against France." A similarly courageous showing would give the Swiss a good chance of progressing against their eliminated opponents. Ireland are coached by former Neuchâtel Xamax FC defender Don Givens, and lost the reverse fixture 4-2 as well as being defeated by France twice and Israel.

Recent success
Switzerland also have a reputation to defend. In 2002, the U17 squad won the country's first-ever UEFA European Championship title, while the same group reached the semi-finals of the U19 event on home soil two years later. A number of the players from that victorious U17 team have since become key figures at senior level, most notably Tranquillo Barnetta and Philippe Senderos, while others, such as Reto Ziegler, Stephan Lichtsteiner, Xavier Margairaz and Alain Rochat, have also been involved and several others are ready to make the step up.

Long-term aim
Tonight's result could have far-reaching consequences for Challandes' charges. Senior coach Jakob Kuhn has repeatedly stated his intention to rely on young players in the build-up to UEFA EURO 2008™, saying: "The fact our young players have also experienced success at U17 or U21 level against all the big teams is one of the reasons the old Swiss complex has disappeared. The second-generation Swiss players have brought a great strength to the side and introduced a multicultural aspect that is also an important part of modern Switzerland." The incentive is there for Challandes' team to rise to the challenge.