After beating Mexico 4:2, Switzerland also beat the USA. Coach Murat Yakin's team won 4:0 in Nashville - with 19-year-old Johan Manzambi shining.
In his first international match, which he played from the start, Manzambi showed why he is regarded as one of the discoveries of the past season. The attacking player from Bundesliga club Freiburg impressed on the right flank with his ball security and attacking flair. In the 23rd minute, for example, he moved into the penalty area, ran around his opponent with ease and passed to Michel Aebischer, who only had to keep his foot out.
13 minutes later, the Geneva native, who joined Fribourg from Servette in 2023, went one better. He took the ball on his left foot in the center and fired it under the crossbar from the edge of the penalty area. Manzambi thus became the 16th player to celebrate his national team goal debut as an under-20. An impressive debut in the starting eleven.
"It's my first time with the national team. I didn't expect it to be so good straight away. I'm a bit lost for words," Manzambi said in the SRF interview after the game. "It makes me happy to be able to play in the Swiss jersey."
However, the two goals Manzambi was involved in were only half the battle in the first half. The Swiss national team played the Americans to the wall and took a 4:0 lead into the break. Something they had last achieved seven years earlier in a test match against Panama.
Testing the Americans
The half-time result raised a few eyebrows: was Switzerland, ranked 20th in the world, really playing against the world number 16?
The USA, who will play their first game at the Gold Cup, the North and Central American equivalent of the European Championship, four days later, were not at their best. Key players such as captain Christian Pulisic were missing from the squad, while coach Mauricio Pochettino also tested out some new players. He paid dearly for these experiments and his team were sent into the break with whistles from the home crowd.
Pochettino therefore made five changes at half-time. These only partially had the desired effect. The Americans did not have to concede any more goals, but this was also due to the Swiss, who no longer played with high intensity. However, the Americans did not manage to score the goal they had hoped for. As a result, Swiss national goalkeeper Gregor Kobel kept a clean sheet for the first time in his 13th international match.
Jashari also impresses
Murat Yakin, on the other hand, once again relied mainly on his regulars. Only in midfield, where Remo Freuler normally plays alongside Granit Xhaka, did the Swiss national team coach give preference to Ardon Jashari. The second starting debutant also repaid his trust with a good performance, including being at the origin of Dan Ndoye's first goal and providing the pass to goalscorer Manzambi in the 4-0 win.
Even if the Swiss did not meet with much resistance from their test match opponents on their USA tour, it can be considered a success. They now have a three-month break before things get serious again. On September 5 (against Kosovo) and 8 (against Slovenia), Switzerland will open their World Cup qualifying campaign with two home games in Basel. Guest matches in Sweden and Slovenia will follow in October, and the group stage will be completed in November. The first-placed team qualifies directly for the 2026 World Cup finals, while the runners-up must enter the play-off tournament.
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USA - Switzerland 0:4 (0:4)
Nashville, Tennessee. - Ref Samuel (TRI). - Goals: 13. Ndoye 0:1. 23. Aebischer (Manzambi) 0:2. 33. Embolo 0:3. 36. Manzambi (Jashari) 0:4.
USA: Turner; Harriel, Zimmerman, McKenzie, Arfsten (46. Tolkin); Cardoso, Berhalter (75. Downs); Paxton Aaronson (46. Luna), Brenden Aaronson (46. Ream); Sullivan (46. Tillman); White (46. Agyemang).
Switzerland: Kobel; Schmidt (65. Blondel), Elvedi (72. Amenda), Akanji (46. Gartenmann), Rodriguez (46. Muheim); Xhaka (65. Sow); Manzambi, Jashari (84. Freuler), Aebischer (72. Amdouni), Ndoye; Embolo.
Comments: Switzerland without Zakaria (injured). 46) Rodriguez remains in the dressing room with suspected concussion. Cautions: 41st Sullivan, 51st Elvedi, 90th Amenda, 92nd Agyemang, 93rd Cardoso.
