FIFA World Cup 2010 Odds Preview – Switzerland: Switzerland has qualified for 2010 World Cup – South Africa, but at 200-to-1 odds (+2000) , fans should not harbor any grand illusions of the Swiss making it out of the early rounds. Coach Ottmar Hitzfeld's Switzerland are in Group H for the tournament in South Africa along with European champions Spain, Chile and Honduras.
The 2010 World Cup will be the ninth finals for Switzerland when the tournament gets underway in South Africa next week.
Hitzfeld, the former Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich boss took the coaching job after Switzerland's disappointing showing at UEFA EURO 2008, and has now led them to their second FIFA World Cup finals in a row. The Swiss made it to the Round of 16 at the 2006 event in Germany, where they were unluckily eliminated on penalties by Ukraine.
Bodog.com lists Switzerland as a 200-to-1 odds longshot to win the World Cup 2010 – South Africa.
For Switzerland, Alexander Frei is the undisputed chief on and off the field of play. The Basel striker, who is his country's all-time record goalscorer, was Hitzfeld's natural choice as national team captain. He finished the qualifying campaign on five goals.
That total was equalled by Blaise N'Kufo of Twente Enschede. The striker, who was born in Kinshasa (DR Congo), was first called up by the Swiss in 2000 and has struck up a productive attacking partnership with Frei.
World Cup qualifying is so competitive that it's surprising how regularly a mediocre team like Switzerland makes it to the Big Show. Hitzfeld is a proven winner, and it's hard not to like creative winger Tranquillo Barnetta. But this is a plodding group that could run into problems against the high-powered attack of Spain in Group H.
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