Vonlanthen inspires Swiss stroll
Saturday, 4 September 2004
By Marco Keller from Saint Jakob Park
[1] Hat-tricks from Johan Vonlanthen and Alexandre Rey ensured Switzerland got their 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign off to a splendid start with an emphatic 6-0 win against the Faroe Islands in Group 4.
Irish game
[2] The victory ensured Switzerland go into Wednesday's match against the Republic of Ireland – 3-0 winners against Cyprus today – in good heart, while the Faroe Islands are at home to France the same night.
Nervous start
[3] After collecting just one point at UEFA EURO 2004™, Jakob Kuhn's side were understandably edgy as the match kicked off in Basel and betrayed their nerves in the opening exchanges. Indeed, the home team might have fallen behind as early as the eighth minute as a misunderstanding between Bernt Haas and goalkeeper Pascal Zuberbühler led to an indirect free-kick five metres out but Claus Bech Jörgensen was unable to convert what proved to be the visitors' best chance of the game.
Quick double
[4] A minute later, the 13,000 home supporters were celebrating the opening goal as Faroese goalkeeper Jens Martin Knudsen could only parry a shot from Ricardo Cabanas and Vonlanthen was quickest to react to prod in. The PSV Eindhoven forward went on to produce a virtuoso performance, doubling the Swiss lead in the 14th minute after a clever lob from Hakan Yakin and going close again four minutes later as it took a great save from Knudsen to prevent the striker completing his hat-trick.
Well-worked third
[5] However, Vonlanthen, the youngest-ever scorer in a UEFA European Championship finals following his goal against France in Portugal, continued to shine and was involved in the third goal in the 29th minute, playing the ball to Hakan Yakin. The forward's clever pass found Rey and the centre-forward, in for the suspended Alexander Frei, made no mistake.
Hat-tricks completed
[6] Rey, called up by his country for the first time in three years, scored his second and Switzerland's fourth two minutes before half-time, beating Knudsen to Cabanas' low cross. He completed his hat-trick ten minutes after the restart, turning in a pass from substitute Ludovic Magnin. Not to be outdone, Vonlanthen scored his third goal two minutes later, capitalising on a great combination between Cabanas and Raphael Wicky.