The Swiss women's national team will play what are likely to be the decisive matches for group victory in the World Cup qualifiers on Tuesday in Zurich and on Saturday in Sinop. The focus will be on the details.
14.04.2026, 05:01
14.04.2026, 06:38
SDA
Leila Wandeler hits an air pocket and then fails to get into the duel. Her opponent Maria Farrugia takes advantage of this and lifts the ball over Livia Peng into the goal from an acute angle. The only goal the Swiss have conceded so far in the World Cup qualifiers in the 4-1 defeat in Malta is basically a waste of time - and yet it still annoys coach Rafel Navarro more than a month later.
"I wasn't happy after that game - about the result, but also about the way we played - because I know we can do better," said the 40-year-old. "We were far from the standard we want."
Little things make the difference
Navarro's obsession with detail is obvious. And it has been a recurring theme since he took office in November. Details are worked on here, little things are improved there. In the first meeting under the new coach, the focus was on getting to know each other, in February the mistakes of the first games were worked on, now the focus is on fine-tuning. "I saw a lot of good things in training this week. We were able to go into detail," says Navarro.
Captain Lia Wälti also talks about details, saying: "I've rarely received so many details in my career and trained so intensively - both mentally and physically." She names the quality of passing and movement in space as two points that were worked on. "The little things require a lot of attention. At the same time, they can change the game a lot," says the 32-year-old midfielder.
For central defender Viola Calligaris, who is two years younger, the motto is: "Move up much faster and be more compact, don't give the strikers any space, defend 'preventively' - and do all of this at a higher tempo." There are two or three steps more than before, thanks to which they can put themselves in better situations.
A duo with positive memories
Sydney Schertenleib is someone who is very familiar with the new national team coach's style. The 19-year-old has already worked with Navarro at FC Barcelona and has internalized the offensive, possession-oriented philosophy over the past two years. Despite her strengths in building up play and in the final third, she still needs to work on her defensive behavior, says Navarro about Schertenleib. The player herself says that she has already improved a lot in this respect. "In Barcelona, they really folded me up at the start. Of course you don't like to be criticized, but it helps you move forward."
Both Calligaris and Schertenleib have fond memories of Turkey, their opponents on Tuesday and Saturday. Both scored against the Eastern Europeans in the European Championship qualifiers two years ago, which were irrelevant for Switzerland. Calligaris scored twice in the 3-1 home win in Zurich, while Schertenleib celebrated her goal debut in the 2-0 win in Izmir as a then 17-year-old in only her second game for the SFA selection.
The 400th match for the women's national team
Turkey, who like Switzerland have won their first two games, are the underdogs in their clash with the SFA side in their 400th game, but will be a good yardstick. "The Turks want to press high and have a lot of energy. It's a good test for us, they can show what level we're already at," said Navarro.
The next two games will probably decide who wins qualifying Group 2 in League B and who will have the easier opponents on paper in the play-offs. Another detail that could ultimately tip the scales in terms of possible participation in the finals in Brazil.
