Hope and risk at the same time: The Swiss women's team must rely on youth

The numbers are "crazy," says Lilie Persson. The assistant coach of the Swiss women's national team talks about the opening match of the European Championship against Norway. Statistically, Switzerland has the advantage in every respect. Kind of crazy, yes. Except: in the goal-scoring record. 1:2. A bad result, but otherwise only advantages.

Not to forget: Before the match, the potential for a relapse had to be considered; the games in recent months had been too unsatisfactory, at times even frightening. Against Norway, wingers Iman Beney and Nadine Riesen positioned themselves more offensively than before from the start. This brought momentum and a goal, but also risk and a goal conceded.

The question now is what the team, coached by 65-year-old Pia Sundhage, can add to their second European Championship match against Iceland. There will be plenty of youth on the Wankdorf pitch again. The coaches are announcing substitutions and considering whether to start Sydney Schertenleib up front from the start. Or earlier than against Norway.

These aren't Nations League games, where she's barely been noticed lately. No, this is the home Euros, a sold-out Wankdorf stadium, a higher pulse, momentum carrying her forward. It's actually safe to assume that a win is a must. Football finals offer many examples of the home crowd throwing in the towel early in the overly charged atmosphere. Expectations are too high.

In the weeks leading up to the tournament, a bold calculation circulated within the Swiss Football Association (SFV), based on the premise that the group was "doable" thanks to the luck of the draw. The group winner would face the runner-up in Spain's group, presumably avoiding the Spanish team. On the other hand, the probability of second-place finishers facing the same world champions is high.

What the latter can mean was evident during the week at the Wankdorf, when Spain smashed Portugal to pieces (5-0). With half of FC Barcelona in the Spanish ranks, it's important to consider that the mere fact of being signed by this club is an honor in itself. Which brings us back to Sydney Schertenleib .

As she said in a lavishly produced, short SFV message before the tournament: "You have the whole country behind you. You simply want to make them proud." Or: "We want pressure." Her year of birth? 2007.

Youthfulness and inexperience can liven up a European Championship match. But they also have their limits. The Swiss overture revealed both last Wednesday in sweltering Basel.

Less than a quarter of an hour into the game against Norway, coach Pia Sundhage briefly clenches her fist on the sidelines. Goalkeeper Livia Peng has just dived to catch a cross. All on the right track, on the ground and in the air. This is how the confidence of a footballer who had gradually risen to the number one goalkeeper before the European Championship grew.

But later, four fateful minutes followed, in which the Norwegians turned the match around, from 0-1 to 2-1. After a corner, Peng misjudged the space and options in the goal area and grabbed the air after Norwegian Ada Hegerberg got there first and headed the ball into the net.

Here, a lot of talent and little experience: the 23-year-old from Graubünden in just her 11th international match. There, a lot of talent and a lot of experience: the soon-to-be 30-year-old Hegerberg. Over 90 games for Norway, 50 goals, under contract with Lyon for over 10 years.

Football offers plenty of turnarounds and changes of direction; they're part of its appeal. Newcomer Peng played a good match. Nevertheless, the instability of the young Swiss players was brought to the fore in those four minutes.

They fielded three players under 20: Iman Beney, Noemi Ivelj, and Sydney Schertenleib, who came on after just over an hour. This is a rare occurrence, as evidenced by the match between Spain and Portugal two days later. 18-year-old Vicky López caused a stir, but, born in 2006, she was by far the youngest player on the pitch. Other players under 20? No sign of any.

Such statistics must be kept in mind when evaluating and criticizing the women's team's performance. If Iman Beney (born 2006), for whatever reason, is moved from the YB right winger to the right back position in the national team, it can be expected that she will be able to get things moving forward in the right gully. At the same time, the team's management is taking a risk.

This became apparent against Norway before Switzerland's second downfall, when Beney, despite her strong running, was too late to beat Caroline Graham Hansen, whose pass in the middle was deflected into her own net by Swiss player Julia Stierli. Bad luck for Stierli. But also bad luck for Beney, who otherwise played well. Here, too, it's important to consider who represents what: Graham Hansen is 30 years old and has over 115 caps. She plays for FC Barcelona. Youngster Beney has 12 caps and is moving from YB to Manchester City.

Whether young or old: the SFV selection does not have that many options left after others have evaporated.

At the start of the training camp in Magglingen at the beginning of June, two people who had followed several women's international matches were chatting. Apparently, they had spent hours discussing the team over a meal. They agreed: the established Ramona Bachmann (born 1990, 153 caps, 60 goals) and YB striker Naomi Luyet (born 2005, 5 caps, 1 goal) had to be at the European Championships because of "that certain something" when something crazy was needed from the bench.

At that point, the crisis Bachmann experienced, especially at the end of 2024, was not yet public. A little later, she suffered a cruciate ligament tear. And the convalescent Luyet had not yet been dropped from the European Championship squad. That's how quickly speculation can end.

One conclusion to the disappointing start to the European Championships is that the locals seemed rather buoyed by the unusual backdrop. The youngsters too. "Enjoy it," said Beney at a press conference on Friday. That could be a boost for the match in Bern. The Swiss have a larger home crowd than before. Most recently, 11,000 in St. Gallen, 7,000 in Sion, and over 7,700 in Winterthur. After the 34,000 against Norway in Basel, almost 30,000 will be waiting in Bern on Sunday. Possibly a case for Schertenleib.

An article from the « NZZ am Sonntag »