Teams arrive at major tournaments with great hopes and fears in equal measures, a lot depending on how they have performed in the build up to the big event.
When France squared up with Switzerland it brought two sides together with contrasting qualifying campaigns for the right to strut their stuff at the biggest of them all, the World Cup Finals in Brazil – the adopted home of football.
Les Blues struggled to even book their spot at the World Cup seven months ago and yet trounced Switzerland 5-2 in the Arena Fonte Nova in Salvador (which has now witnessed 17 goals in just 3 group matches!).
The question is, can we truly use qualifying and warm up games as a gadge for how a team will perform when it matters most?
Ottmar Hitzfeld’s Swiss strolled through qualifying and, before the meeting with Les Bleus, were unbeaten in 12 competitive matches stretching back to October, 2011 and rise to 6th in the FIFA World Rankings. However of those competitive outings, not one side are currently in the top 50 in the world.
France are ranked 17th and their journey to Brazil was anything but smooth. After finishing second to the all conquering Spanish in qualifying group I, Dider Deschamps men had to become the first side in a European play off to ever overturn a two goal deficit to oust the Ukraine.
Since that there has been a sense of a renewed spirit within the French camp since that night in Kiev and Deschamps has been at the centre of creating it. His decision to omit Samir Nasri caused a negative backlash from some (not least the Manchester City midfielder’s girlfriend) but the former Juventus boss has put unity over individual ability.
This was epitomised by the changes Deschamps made: Olivier Giroud and Moussa Sissoko coming in for Antoine Griezmann and Paul Pogba. And boy was the 45-year-old coach repaid for his decision.
Both Premier League based players thanked Deschamps with a goal apiece in what was a devastating and fluent attacking performance. No tantrums or fall outs as both Griezmann and Pogba were called into action once the game was safe.
For the Swiss, their first real challenge came and went in a crazy 66 seconds when they managed to conceded twice midway through the first half and a failure to respond until it was too late. For all their form coming into the the World Cup the Swiss guard froze when it mattered most.
France now with six points and top spot in Group E with eight goals scored and just the two conceded while the consolation for Switzerland is qualification is still very much possible.
For Les Bleus, their change in fortunes can be further highlighted by the plight of Spain, the team who pipped them to automatic qualification. Vincente Del Bosque’s side had lost only once in their last 33 competitive matches coming into the tournament – but that defeat was a telling one as it came against Brazil in the Maracana during the final of the Confederations Cup.
The venue was also the end of the road for the glorious trophy laden Spanish era as La Roja, having first succumbed to the deadly Dutch, they lost their world crown to the verve and drive of Chile.
Qualifying is only a small part of the battle; then comes the journey away from home to unfamiliar surroundings with the whole world looking in. For the Spanish, it was the curtain on their reign; for the Swiss maybe it has been too much for a squad peppered with youngsters to handle.
For France, the team spirit and togetherness looks to have only strengthened in Brazil, and with the last 16 now within their reach, the odds on them turning out on the 13th July at the Maracana are surely to be shortened after their World Cup redemption took another step in the right direction.
