At the press conference ahead of the Nations League clash against France, national team coach Pia Sundhage elegantly avoids questions about personnel. And so it remains unclear who will be standing between the posts on Friday evening.
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- Switzerland play away against France in the Nations League on Friday. Pia Sundhage does not want to reveal who will be in goal the day before the game.
- The national team coach also talks about Ramona Bachmann, who still has some catching up to do in terms of fitness.
- Sundhage reveals that Ana-Maria Crnogorcevic could become an option in the back three. A position in which the all-rounder has only been used once before.
In the last two international matches, Elvira Herzog, who was proclaimed number 1 at the end of last year, did not make a good trap. And behind her, Livia Peng, who was named the best Bundesliga goalkeeper of the season by football magazine "kicker", is scuffing her hooves.
Peng made her last appearance for the national team on July 16, 2024, in the 3-0 win over Azerbaijan. Since then, she has had to watch Elvira Herzog keep goal eight times. RB Leipzig's regular goalkeeper has done a really good job at times, but in her most recent appearances she has made some serious mistakes. And so the question arises: Will the race for the number 1 be relaunched or will everything stay the same?
Sundhage is not letting the cat out of the bag ahead of the France game: "We haven't announced the starting line-up to the team yet. Of course it was a discussion about what's best for the team." So it remains to be seen whether Peng will get a chance. However, it also seems clear that Herzog's status as number 1 is not set in stone. Sundhage says: "You'll see the starting line-up on Friday."
How fit is Ramona Bachmann?
Another interesting personnel issue is Ramona Bachmann. How is her form, how satisfied is Sundhage with her training performance? "I'm happy with her smile. She's a happy mother, that's important." As far as fitness is concerned, she still has some catching up to do with regard to the European Championships: "But she still has a bit of time." It doesn't sound like Bachmann is an option for the starting eleven against France and Norway.
New role for Ana-Maria Crnogorcevic?
At the press conference, Sundhage is also asked about the shortage of personnel in the back three. And this is where record international Ana-Maria Crnogorcevic could become an issue. They discussed it, the coach admits, because she is strong in aerial duels and brings so much experience with her. Crnogorcevic, who is sitting next to the coach, is asked whether she could even get to grips with this role.
"I'm still missing goalie, that's the only position I haven't played yet," she says and laughs. She has already played everywhere, but only once in central defense. "It's certainly interesting. But whether we do it or not, we'll see." She is used to playing different positions from the last few years and stepping in if there is a problem somewhere. "If that's what the team needs, then of course I'll try to do my best."
Sundhage's challenge
The Swiss women's goal is clear: they want to avoid relegation. And to achieve this, Switzerland must score points in at least one of their two upcoming matches. This is likely to be more difficult to achieve against France, who have already won their group after four games, than in their home game against Norway.
However, Sundhage does not want to play tactics, as these are thoughts that only the very best teams can have. "Every single performance is important for the players and for the team. Tomorrow you'll see the team that we think is the strongest. We'll go into this game full of hope and try to get at least one point. It would be fantastic if we could get three points."
