Switzerland were knocked out of Euro 2016 on Saturday despite providing a moment of genuine magic in the tournament; Xherdan Shaqiri scored an outrageous bicycle kick in the 82nd minute to send the match against Poland to extra time. Despite dominating the final 15 minutes, the Swiss lost 5-4 on penalties.
It was their second successive major tournament to end in heartbreak, following their last-gasp defeat to Argentina at the 2014 World Cup when Angel Di Maria scored the winner one minute from the end of extra time. Ultimately, the Swiss paid for their inability to turn their territorial dominance into goals at Euro 2016; they scored just three times in four games.
Player Ratings (1-10; 10=best. Players introduced after 70 minutes get no rating)
GK Yann Sommer, 7 -- Involved in a mix-up with Johan Djourou that handed Poland a chance in the first minute. Otherwise, he was his usual reliable self, making good saves against Robert Lewandowski and Jakub Blaszczykowski in the second half.
DF Stephan Lichtsteiner, 8 -- Struggled to contain Kamil Grosicki's runs down the Swiss' right side in the first half and was left standing when the winger set up his team's goal. But he was strong going forward and provided the cross that led to Shaqiri's goal. Argued with the opposition, the officials and his teammates.
DF Fabian Schar, 6 -- Like his fellow defenders, he struggled to contain counterattacks in the first half, although he made some important interceptions. He was lucky not to be sent off for an ugly, dangerous tackle on Lewandowski, which would have left his team in dire straits.
DF Johan Djourou, 7 -- Nearly gifted Poland a first-minute opener when he was involved in a mix-up with Sommer, and one additional mishap started a dangerous break for the opposition. Apart from that, composed and comfortable in possession.
DF Ricardo Rodriguez, 8 -- Struggled in the first half but was much more positive with his play as the game wore on. Nearly scored off a strong, dipping free kick, which was tipped away by Lukasz Fabianski.
MF Valon Behrami, 7 -- Presented his usual tireless work rate and did well to contain a dangerous Polish midfield.
MF Granit Xhaka, 7 -- His passing was not up to his usual high standards, although he still kept the midfield ticking. But he will likely be remembered for his awful penalty in the shootout, which led to Switzerland's elimination.
MF Xherdan Shaqiri, 9 -- After a rather subdued tournament, he suddenly burst into life in the second half, showing the repertoire of tricks for which he is known. Scored the goal of the tournament with a stunning bicycle kick and tried a cheeky effort in extra time. It's a shame he didn't come to life earlier.
MF Blerim Dzemaili, 7 -- Caused Poland some problems in the first half and was rather surprisingly taken off in the second.
MF Admir Mehmedi, 5 -- A frustrating afternoon despite the high work rate we've come to expect from him. Too many strings of passes were broken down at his feet.
FW Haris Seferovic, 7 -- Won back his place in the starting lineup and worked very hard, often popping in to defend. But the ball just would not go in for him, as he saw his second-half effort smash against the crossbar.
Substitutes:
FW Breel Embolo, 6 -- Brought on in the second half but did not really add anything to the Swiss attack. His coach would have expected more.
FW Eren Derdiyok, 7 -- Had two chances to win the game for Switzerland late in extra time. The first was a free header, which was saved by Fabianski, followed by a Seferovic cross, which bounced off his knee before he could make proper contact.
FW Gelson Fernandes 7 -- Replaced Behrami and proved to be a good alternative with some timely interceptions and good tackles.