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Admir Mehmedi: Celebrates equaliser for Switzerland against
Ecuador
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Haris Seferovic scored a stoppage-time winner as Switzerland
came from behind to beat Ecuador 2-1 in the opening World Cup Group E game in
Brasilia.
The Real Sociedad striker got on the end of a late
counter-attack to convert Ricardo Rodriguez's low cross at the near post with
just 23 seconds of added time remaining.
Ironically the chance came from Ecuador's final attack of
the game when Michael Arroyo delayed his shot and was dispossessed by Valon
Behrami who launched a swift break.
Poor defending had resulted in the first two goals with
Enner Valencia, who scored against England in their World Cup warm-up in Miami
earlier this month, heading Ecuador in front in the first half.
Admir Mehmedi nodded home a corner just two minutes after
his half-time introduction but fellow substitute Seferovic made an even more
important contribution with almost the last kick of the game.
Switzerland will feel justice was done as they had a
second-half goal by Josip Drmic, who eventually made way for Seferovic, wrongly
ruled out for offside.
The Swiss, ranked sixth in the world, has sailed through
qualifying with seven clean sheets in 10 games in a relatively easy group, but
they found the tournament proper a different prospect.
They failed to make the knockout stages four years ago in
South Africa despite beating Spain in their opening game but this time around
Ecuador, ranked 20 places below their opponents, had the better of the first
half.
Switzerland hardly helped themselves however as, in the 22nd
minute, some slapdash zonal marking for Walter Ayovi's free-kick saw Granit
Xhaka and Johan Djourou both get the wrong side of Valencia who easily
converted from close range.
The response saw Behrami's close-range header claimed at the
second attempt by goalkeeper Alexander Dominguez while Xherdan Shaqiri's shot
was blocked by Frickson Erazo with the help of an arm, although a penalty award
would have been harsh.
But just 122 seconds after coming on for the second half
Mehmedi headed home Ricardo Rodriguez's corner as marker Carlos Gruezo failed
to even jump and Dominguez got caught hopelessly out of position.
Ecuador hit back with Valencia firing just over after a
lateral run across the edge of the penalty area and Jefferson Montero's driving
run down the left ending with goalkeeper Diego Benaglio deflecting a shot
behind with his legs.
With 20 minutes to go Drmic had goal ruled out despite the
touch from Rodriguez's ball coming from Jorge Guagua after Xhaka had dummied.
Benaglio and Djourou's miscommunication and subsequent
tangle presented Valencia with an open goal but Steve von Bergen tidied up the
loose ball before the goalkeeper redeemed himself to save Arroyo's deflected
free-kick despite being wrongfooted.
Arroyo's hesitation in dealing with Manchester United winger
Antonio Valencia's cross proved disastrous in the final minute as Behrami
blocked and broke downfield to set up the winner.
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