Vargas confident misfiring Swiss can top World Cup group after ‘wake-up call’
Soccer Football – FIFA World Cup 2026 – Group B – Qatar v Switzerland – San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, Santa Clara, California, U.S. – June 13, 2026 Switzerland’s Ruben Vargas in action with Qatar’s Yusuf Abdurisag IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters/Darren Yamashita
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June 15 : Switzerland’s draw with Qatar after their attacking onslaught in their opening World Cup match was a wake-up call and a warning against complacency, but the team can still win their group, forward Ruben Vargas said on Monday.
The Swiss were stunned by a stoppage-time sucker-punch from the Qataris on Saturday, who soaked up a game-long offensive in Group B before levelling 1-1 to take their first-ever World Cup point.
Switzerland had 26 goal attempts in Santa Clara, their highest recorded in a World Cup game since 1966, according to Opta Analyst.
“This game was obviously another wake-up call for us,” Vargas told a press conference at the team’s San Diego base camp.
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“You get nervous in the game when you see that you’re not going to score the second goal to end the game… football has written many stories, in the end it only takes one chance.”
He added: “Sometimes the ball doesn’t go in but that’s not an excuse … we have to keep on working on our defence.”
One of Europe’s World Cup regulars playing in their sixth consecutive tournament, the Swiss are seeking their best performance yet in the showpiece event having not reached a quarter-final since 1954.
Confidence has been high following their successful run in Euro 2024, when a penalty shootout miss against England cost them a historic semi-final place.
Vargas, who plays for Sevilla in Spain, said Switzerland had been criticised for their misfiring and defensive lapse on Saturday, but confidence was still high ahead of remaining matches against Bosnia and co-hosts Canada, who also drew their opening match.
“It is what it is. We got a point, the others got a point too. Everything is still possible, we can still win the group, we shouldn’t get worked up about not winning the game,” Vargas said.
“We cannot kill ourselves. We have to be positive as well, go into the games with a good mindset.”
Source: Reuters
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