Nice! Some pressure is needed to push the non-playing strikers (Gavranovic, Ben Khalifa, Seferovic etc.) Now to something worse. Read a couple of months-old intervie with Kerim Frei, here's an outtake: "Raised in Switzerland, having been born in Austria to a Turkish father and Moroccan mother, Frei’s footballing education began at St. Gallen before four eye-catching years at Grasshoppers. With a number of international options, he chose to represent his father Murat’s country of birth and is subsequently part of a talented crop of Turkish youngsters. “Even though I lived in Switzerland for most of my life and was born in Austria, Turkey is my country,” details Kerim. “It was where my father was born, and it has been an honour to play for them. One day I hope to pull on the shirt of the senior team - that would be an unbelievable moment." Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/April/ThroughtheRanksFrei.aspx#ixzz13JTlITWh 1. How on earth did he get the surname Frei? 2. Hopefully he'll feel more Swiss living in England. Otherwise we should really cut him of at an early age.
I have no idea where the Frei name came from. He is basically admitting that he has been and will continue to use the Swiss YNT system until Turkey comes calling. If and when that does happen, he drops the Swiss and joins Turkey. At least he is honest, but I am not sure how smart this is. It will be interesting to see if he continues to get calls at the Swiss YNT level.
Ukraine M16 - Suisse M16 0-0 Centre sportif du Dynamo Kiev. 120 spectators. Suisse: Kiener (Young Boys); Burkard (Lucerne), Riedweg (Lucerne), Garetto (Ticino), Schindler (Lucerne); Cerezo (Young Boys)/55e Kastrati (Young Boys), Yang (Fribourg), Mazreku (Lucerne)/82. Barroso (Bâle), Hayoz (Sochaux- Montbéliard)/62e Lema (Bâle); Cespedes (Servette)/55e Da Costa (Lausanne), Thali (Lucerne)/50e Tarashaj (Grasshopper). Match international M18: Danemark - Suisse 1-2 (0-1) Frederica (Dan). 300 spectateurs. Buts: 20e Zwimpfer (Bâle) 0-1. 72e autogoal 0-2. 91e 1-2. Suisse: Brecher (Zurich); Zangger (Young Boys), Zarkovic (Bâle)/71. Ajeti (Bâle), Schmid (Zurich), Müller (Bâle)/46e Widmer (Aarau); Zwimpfer (Bâle)/84e Riva (Bellinzone), Sessolo (Young Boys)/60e Vuleta (Bâle), Kryeziu (Lucerne)/ 66e Geissmann (Aarau); Frei (Fulham)/46e Jevtic (Bâle), Karlen (Sion)/78e Kleiber (Zurich), Lavanchy (Lausanne-Sport).
He didn't play at all with the U17 during winter, spring and summer (incl. the EC) but now he seems to be the big star in the U18 squad. The interview is from april. This is pure speculation but maybe he's had a change of heart
http://foreign.peacefmonline.com/sports/201010/96790.php Nigerian-born Swiss Super League Grasshopper striker Innocent Emeghara says he wants to play for Swiss Under 21 team after obtaining a nationality switch. Interesting. Just a follow up to the earlier post.
Group A: Denmark (Host) Iceland (pot 1) Belarus (pot 2) Switzerland (pot 2) Group B: Czech Republic (best team pot1) Spain (pot 1) England (pot 2) Ukraine (pot 2) wow, we got the much easier group. If we and England reach the semis, we're qualified for the London Olympics
Iceland and Belarus played well in the qualifiers, but I agree that Switzerland go the easier group. Now the question is do they bring the NT players back for the Euros.
the U-19 with a 2-2 draw against Romania 12.Granit Xhaka (Foulpenalty/Nachschuss) 1:0. 34. Seferovic 2:0. 54. Markus 2:1. 85. Fuchs 2:2. Seferovic also won the penalty who lead to the first goal
some key dates: November 30: U-19 elite round draw February 9: Malta-Switzerland (A-team) February 9: U-21 away match February 9: Greece-Switzerland (U-19) March 23 and March 26: France-Switzerland and Luxemburg-Switzerland (U-19) March 25 and March 29: U-21 away matches March 26: Bulgaria-Switzerland (A-team) U-19 elite round: beginning of April till end of May Superleague and Swiss Cup: finished by the end of May June 4: England-Switzerland (A-team) June 11 to 25: U-21 European Championship June 11?: Denmark-Switzerland (U-21 European Championship) June 14: Switzerland-Iceland (U-21 European Championship) June 18: Switzerland-Bielorussia (U-21 European Championship) June ?: U-19 final round draw July 20 till August 1: U-19 final round September 6: Switzerland-Bulgaria (A-team)
U18s vs Austria Ascona - 560 spectateurs. Buts: 40e 0-1. 43e Jevtic (Bâle) 1-1. 59e Frei (Fulham) 2-1. 69e 2-2. Suisse M18: Brecher (Zurich)/46e Frick (Lyon); Widmer (Aarau), Hajrovic (Arsenal), Zarkovic (Bâle), Müller (Bâle)/46e Zangger (Young Boys); Jevtic (Bâle)/46e Lavanchy (Lausanne-Sport), Geissmann (Aarau), Kryeziu (Lucerne), Kleiber (Zurich)/78e Malbasic (Lucerne); Frei (Fulham); Vuleta (Bâle)/62e Karlen (Sion). Frei scores again.
U20s vs Poland Bergholz, Wil. 350 spectators. Buts: 31e Pacar 1-0. 34e Lang 2-0. 58e Teodorczyk 2-1. 66e Holota 2-2. 83e Teodorczyk 2-3. Suisse U20: Bürki (Young Boys); Taulant Xhaka (Bâle), Schär (Wil), Lang (St-Gall)/46e Facchinetti (Neuchâtel Xamax), Rochat (Lausanne-Sport)/46e Sauthier (Sion); Roberto Rodriguez (Wil)/46e Mihajlovic (Bellinzone), Wiss (Lucerne), Wüthrich (Neuchâtel Xamax)/66e Marchesano (Locarno), Pasche (Lausanne-Sport)/78e Unal (Bâle); Mehmedi (Zurich)/46e Chatton (Sion), Pacar (Lucerne). Avertissements: 84e Sauthier. 90e Teodorczyk. Tournoi amical M20. Classement: 1. Allemagne 3/9. 2. Pologne 3/6. 3. Italie 2/3. 4. Suisse 4/0. The Swiss were up 2-0 then let in 3 goals to loose to Poland.
while the U-21 had a lucky draw for the final tournament, the U-19 had a tough draw for the elite round getting both Spain and England in this second round 1 Spain 2 England 3 Switzerland 4 Montenegro The positive fact is is that Switzerland are the host. Negative again the match dates are quite late and in the middle of the England vs Switzerland A-team match 31 May - 02 - 05 June 2011, so Shaqiri or Affolter and maybe Ben Khalifa won't be able to participate. Besides, it just ends a few days before the start of the U-21 final round ******* February 9: Malta-Switzerland (A-team) February 9: U-21 away match February 9: Greece-Switzerland (U-19) March 23 and March 26: France-Switzerland and Luxemburg-Switzerland (U-19) March 25 and March 29: U-21 away matches March 26: Bulgaria-Switzerland (A-team) Superleague and Swiss Cup: finished by the end of May May 31, June 2, June 5: under 19 elite round June 4: England-Switzerland (A-team) June 11 to 25: U-21 European Championship June 11?: Denmark-Switzerland (U-21 European Championship) June 14: Switzerland-Iceland (U-21 European Championship) June 18: Switzerland-Bielorussia (U-21 European Championship) June ?: U-19 final round draw July 20 till August 1: U-19 final round September 6: Switzerland-Bulgaria (A-team)
for the next but one U-19 EC, 2012 in Estland, Switzerland has to play the qualifying round vs Ukraine, Kasachstan and Macedonia in November 2011 in Macedonia.
February 9: Malta-Switzerland (A-team) February 9: U-21 away match North Africa? February 9: Greece-Switzerland (U-19) March 23 and March 26: France-Switzerland and Luxemburg-Switzerland (U-19) March 25 and March 29: U-21 away matches March 26: Bulgaria-Switzerland (A-team) Superleague and Swiss Cup: finished by the end of May May 31: U-19 elite round vs Spain June 1: U-21 starts Euro preparation incl. a test match June 2: U-19 elite round vs England June 4: England-Switzerland (A-team) June 5: U-19 elite round vs Montenegro June ?: U-19 final round draw June 11 to 25: U-21 European Championship June 11: Denmark-Switzerland (U-21 European Championship) June 14: Switzerland-Iceland (U-21 European Championship) June 18: Switzerland-Bielorussia (U-21 European Championship) July 20 till August 1: U-19 final round September 6: Switzerland-Bulgaria (A-team)
the u-16 won 6-3 vs the Czech 11. Thali 1:0. 14. Thali 2:0. 15. 2:1. 19. Cedeno 3:1. 34. Thali 4:1. 40. 4:2. 50. 4:3. 56. Tarashaj 5:3. 68. Tarashaj 6:3.