Round of 16: Switzerland 2 - 0 Italy
This was set to be a good matchup. Switzerland had been impressive until this point, and Italy had been stumbling after looking very sharp in group game one. But only one of the teams showed up this afternoon, Italy looking like they'd had something put into their coffee, completely out of sorts.
They missed Califiore, a Pau Torres like influence in their defense, starting all the moves and making up an extra man in midfield once in possession. But this wasn't a case of missing a player or two, the whole team (Donnarumma aside) looked absent, off it, defeated from the outset.
Credit to the Swiss (that was so, so nearly the blog title). They dominated the ball and looked utterly at ease, scoring two smart goals and posing the much greater threat. Vargas was a constant menace, Xhaka was everywhere. They are, and I don't mean this critically, a product of the homogenisation of international football. Slowly, each teams national identity is waning, as more and more players are facing each other at top clubs week in week out. So where the Swiss used to be workmanlike and uninspiring, they now have top pros who get it done on a regular basis, and it shows.
So England or Slovakia will play for the right to face the Swiss in the QF, a prospect that normally speaking would be a dream ticket to the semi. Let us see.
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