体坛英语新闻:Group winners face each other, hoping for earlier entry of last 16
PORT ELIZABETH, South Africa, June 20 (Xinhua) -- Nelson Mandela Bay is set to play host to an intriguing clash of styles on Monday when Chile take on Switzerland in their second Group H encounter at the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Both sides kicked off their campaigns in South Africa with 1-0 wins, with the Chileans sinking Honduras and the resilient Swiss turning over European champions Spain.
Switzerland's shock victory over the Spanish in Durban, secured by Gelson Fernandes' 52nd-minute strike, underlined the defensive strength of a team that also played four games at Germany 2006 without conceding a goal.
Under experienced boss Ottmar Hitzfeld, the Helvetians worked overtime to nullify Spain which had hit 28 goals in 10 European Zone qualifiers.
However, they can never expect a breather against Marcelo Bielsa's all-action Chile side, who were noted for their non-stop attacking play and packed with young and gifted performers.
Even without leading striker Humberto Suazo against Honduras, La Roja's clutch of small, speedy front-runners created a host of presentable chances, though eventually had to settle for a win by the narrowest of margins.
The full points secured in their respective openers mean that, in the case of a draw in the Spain-Honduras clash in Johannesburg, a win for either Chile or Switzerland would guarantee them a place in the Round of 16.
"We don't need to get the calculators out, because our fate is entirely in our own hands. Besides which, we're not going to change of style of play because we're taking on Switzerland. We always play the same way, as we showed against Honduras," said Chilean goalkeeper Luis Marin.
"We know we have to focus on playing well against Chile because it's no good beating Spain and then playing badly in the next game. We know that we achieved something great and we're all proud for our country, but we need to play a solid match against Chile because it'll be another tough game," said Swiss defender Reto Ziegler.
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