BRAZIL: FOOTBALL / SOCCER - Argentina and Switzerland fans gear up for World Cup match
Record ID:
449144
BRAZIL: FOOTBALL / SOCCER - Argentina and Switzerland fans gear up for World Cup match
- Title: BRAZIL: FOOTBALL / SOCCER - Argentina and Switzerland fans gear up for World Cup match
- Date: 1st July 2014
- Summary: SAO PAULO, BRAZIL (JULY 1, 2014) (REUTERS) THOUSANDS OF FANS OUTSIDE THE CORINTHIANS ARENA FANS ENTERING THE STADIUM HELICOPTER HOVERING OVERHEAD AS FANS ENTER THE STADIUM ARGENTINA FAN WAVING ARGENTINE FAN AS OTHER FANS CHANT ARGENTINA FANS SINGING AND DANCING ARGENTINA FANS SINGING (Spanish): "MARADONA IS BIGGER THAN PELE". (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) ARGENTINA FAN, MARCELO SALGADO, SAYING: "Today we have to win. (Lionel) Messi to score, 2-0, two goals for Messi." ARGENTINA FAN WEARING A LIONEL MESSI MASK AND GIVING A THUMBS UP (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) ARGENTINA FAN, MATEO ASTORI, SAYING: "It won't be so easy. It will take some effort to win against Switzerland but we will win, surely. We will win 2-0." VARIOUS OF SWITZERLAND FANS PAINTING THEIR FACES AT THE STADIUM VARIOUS OF SWITZERLAND FANS SINGING (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) SWITZERLAND FAN, DANIEL OPPLIGER, SAYING: "The match will be difficult but we have a team, we have Valon Behrami who will neutralise Messi for 90 minutes. We'll win 2-0 or 2-1." SWITZERLAND AND ARGENTINA FANS HAVING A PHOTOGRAPH TOGETHER (SOUNDBITE) (English) SWITZERLAND FAN, MITCHELL GUTMANN, SAYING: "It's just great. There are so many Argentineans, but we have the Brazilians on our side; look so many yellow here that will be on our side so I think we're going to win. I'm not scared of Messi, not at all because we have (Xherdan) Shaqiri and some other good players in our team." SWITZERLAND AND ARGENTINA FANS SINGING
- Embargoed: 16th July 2014 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Brazil
- Country: Brazil
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVAAIXHOH56ZDNR713TK3I9INZG3
- Story Text: Fans were getting into a party mood on Tuesday (July 1) ahead of the Argentina-Switzerland World Cup last-16 match in Sao Paulo.
Fans from both sides were chanting and cheering, donning face paint and waving their country's flags just a couple of hours before kickoff.
The winner of the match will play either Belgium or the United States in the quarter-finals on Saturday (July 5).
While Argentina's defence will be hoping to shackle Xherdan Shaqiri, Switzerland's back line has an arguably tougher task in shutting out an inspired Lionel Messi.
The 27-year-old, whose stuttering international profile before this World Cup was the only blip in an otherwise stellar career, has set about putting that right with four goals in Brazil so far.
He also scored his first international hat-trick the last time Argentina and Switzerland met, in a friendly in 2012.
"Today we have to win. (Lionel) Messi to score, 2-0, two goals for Messi," said Argentina fan Marcelo Salgado.
"It won't be so easy," said Argentina fan, Mateo Astori. "It will take some effort to win against Switzerland but we will win, surely. We will win 2-0."
Switzerland fan, Daniel Oppliger, said: "The match will be difficult but we have a team, we have Valon Berhami who will neutralise Messi for 90 minutes. We'll win 2-0 or 2-1."
Switzerland are hoping the large Brazilian contingent expected in the crowd at the Corinthians arena in Sao Paulo will be backing them against the hosts' arch-rivals Argentina.
"It's just great. There are so many Argentineans, but we have the Brazilians on our side; look so many yellow here that will be on our side so I think we're going to win," Gutmann said. "I'm not scared of Messi, not at all because we have (Xherdan) Shaqiri and some other good players in our team."
Argentina have relied heavily on their number 10's talents - he has scored four of the team's six goals in three narrow wins.
Far from waltzing through the groups stages, none of their victories was comfortable, and only an injury-time winner from Messi ensured three points against lowly Iran.
Argentina, aiming for their third World Cup title, will be without injured forward Sergio Aguero, with Ezequiel Lavezzi set to take his place in a continued three-man attack also comprising Messi and Gonzalo Higuain. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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