The quarter-finals are behind us – and to be honest, I expected a bit more dynamism, emotions, and fire from these four matches. There were exciting moments, but the big magic of football didn’t really unfold this time.One noteworthy development is that while many outsiders made waves during the group stage, with smaller nations constantly making statements, in the end, quality prevailed. In the semi-finals, we now have exactly those four teams that the bookmakers had labeled as top favorites for the World Cup title before the tournament began. One has to acknowledge: they know their craft.For us, with Switzerland’s exit, the DACH project also comes to an end. Germany, Austria, and Switzerland provided us with many stories in the past weeks – sometimes to celebrate and sometimes to shake our heads. It’s a shame that no one is left in the running. But a World Cup also lives on creating new heroes and new stories. Let’s see who masters the last two steps to the title most convincingly.For Potti’s World Cup Diary, this initially means a little pit stop. Tomorrow we’ll take a day off – unless something newsworthy happens. Or our intern manages to create some unplanned headlines again. One can never completely rule that out, as is well known. On Tuesday, as usual, with a preview of the blockbuster semi-final between France and Spain.
Potti’s Playoff Compass
This morning, there was an unusual silence in the office. No Swiss flag on my desk. No cowbell. No “Hopp Schwiiz” from the hallway. Our intern was gone.At first, I was genuinely worried. After all, he had shown remarkable development in recent days. From the nighttime hotel lobby conductor to the seemingly reformed model intern – one could hope that reason had finally set in. But around 10:17 AM, I finally received a message. No text. No emoji. Just a photo.In the photo: our intern at Zurich’s main train station. Wearing a Swiss scarf around his neck, holding a suitcase, and underneath was just a single sentence:
“I need some distance now.”The HR department initially interpreted this as a vacation request. Accounting referred to it as a spontaneous business trip. However, I suspect he simply hasn’t processed the quarter-final knockout yet. By the way, he left his desk tidy. Only a small memento remained: a Toblerone, a Swiss army knife, and a note that reads: “If Switzerland becomes World Champion in 2030, I’ll be back.”I’ve clipped the note for safekeeping. You never know. Until then, we’ll probably continue Potti’s Playoff Compass without any special requests from Switzerland. Although… I might miss our intern just a little bit. At least until the next World Cup 😉🇨🇭
Yesterday’s GamesQuarter-Final: Norway vs. England 1:2 (After Extra Time)
This time, my game analysis was again quite close to the actual gameplay. This quarter-final had everything: spectacular goals, VAR discussions, a curious Spidercam scene, and tension until the last minute of extra time.Norway got off to a better start, taking the lead with a spectacular curl from Andreas Schjelderup. While England had significantly more ball possession, they struggled for a long time against Norway’s compact defense. Just before halftime, Jude Bellingham scored a fantastic goal to equalize. Surprisingly, the two superstars Harry Kane and Erling Haaland had little impact on the game this time and remained surprisingly subdued.In extra time, Thomas Tuchel proved to be quite fortunate. His substitutions injected new energy, before Norway’s goalkeeper Ørjan Nyland made a costly mistake that allowed Jude Bellingham to score the decisive 2:1. England gratefully accepted the gift, held on to their lead confidently, and advanced to the semi-finals.For Norway, this ends an impressive World Cup, during which the Scandinavians attracted numerous new fans with their bold attacking football and plenty of passion. England, on the other hand, once again showed why the Three Lions are among the hottest title contenders. In the end, it was less about the superstars and more about the greater depth of quality and Thomas Tuchel’s successful substitutions that made the difference.
Quarter-Final: Argentina vs. Switzerland 3:1 (After Extra Time)
What a thrilling quarter-final! Switzerland pushed the defending champions to the brink of a genuine upset and provided Argentina with a fight on eye level for much of the match. Although Alexis Mac Allister headed the Albiceleste into the lead early following a Messi corner, the Swiss remained bold, defended passionately, and were rewarded with a deserved equalizer from Dan Ndoye after just over an hour.Then came the scene that significantly influenced the match. After a VAR review for simulation, Breel Embolo received a yellow-red card. Although many Swiss fans might debate this: After seeing the TV images, the referee’s decision was ultimately quite justifiable.Despite being down a player, Switzerland fought back with everything they had against the favorite and managed to make it to extra time. But eventually, their resistance was broken. In the 112th minute, Julián Álvarez took a chance from distance and beautifully struck the ball into the corner – an absolute gem that will surely be featured in any World Cup recap.As Switzerland pushed forward in desperation, Lautaro Martínez sealed the deal with a counterattack in stoppage time.For Switzerland, this marks a bitter end to what was a strong World Cup campaign. Murat Yakin’s team impressively demonstrated that they could compete with the very best. Argentina, however, can continue to dream of the title. In the semi-finals, the next football classic awaits against England – a matchup that already promises more excitement.
Yesterday’s GamesQuarter-Final: Norway vs. England 1:2 (After Extra Time)
This time, my game analysis was again quite close to the actual gameplay. This quarter-final had everything: spectacular goals, VAR discussions, a curious Spidercam scene, and tension until the last minute of extra time.Norway got off to a better start, taking the lead with a spectacular curl from Andreas Schjelderup. While England had significantly more ball possession, they struggled for a long time against Norway’s compact defense. Just before halftime, Jude Bellingham scored a fantastic goal to equalize. Surprisingly, the two superstars Harry Kane and Erling Haaland had little impact on the game this time and remained surprisingly subdued.In extra time, Thomas Tuchel proved to be quite fortunate. His substitutions injected new energy, before Norway’s goalkeeper Ørjan Nyland made a costly mistake that allowed Jude Bellingham to score the decisive 2:1. England gratefully accepted the gift, held on to their lead confidently, and advanced to the semi-finals.For Norway, this ends an impressive World Cup, during which the Scandinavians attracted numerous new fans with their bold attacking football and plenty of passion. England, on the other hand, once again showed why the Three Lions are among the hottest title contenders. In the end, it was less about the superstars and more about the greater depth of quality and Thomas Tuchel’s successful substitutions that made the difference.Quarter-Final: Argentina vs. Switzerland 3:1 (After Extra Time)
What a thrilling quarter-final! Switzerland pushed the defending champions to the brink of a genuine upset and provided Argentina with a fight on eye level for much of the match. Although Alexis Mac Allister headed the Albiceleste into the lead early following a Messi corner, the Swiss remained bold, defended passionately, and were rewarded with a deserved equalizer from Dan Ndoye after just over an hour.Then came the scene that significantly influenced the match. After a VAR review for simulation, Breel Embolo received a yellow-red card. Although many Swiss fans might debate this: After seeing the TV images, the referee’s decision was ultimately quite justifiable.Despite being down a player, Switzerland fought back with everything they had against the favorite and managed to make it to extra time. But eventually, their resistance was broken. In the 112th minute, Julián Álvarez took a chance from distance and beautifully struck the ball into the corner – an absolute gem that will surely be featured in any World Cup recap.As Switzerland pushed forward in desperation, Lautaro Martínez sealed the deal with a counterattack in stoppage time.For Switzerland, this marks a bitter end to what was a strong World Cup campaign. Murat Yakin’s team impressively demonstrated that they could compete with the very best. Argentina, however, can continue to dream of the title. In the semi-finals, the next football classic awaits against England – a matchup that already promises more excitement.