Switzerland 2-0 South Korea

Switzerland sent South Korea home in a 2-0 victory with goals from Philippe Senderos and Alex Frei on Friday, earning a clash with Ukraine in the last 16.

Senderos headed the opening goal from a free kick by Hakan Yakin in the 23rd minute. Frei made sure of victory with 13 minutes left, pouncing on a stray pass by a defender, rounding goalkeeper Lee Woon-jae and slotting the ball into an empty net to seal Korea's elimination. This goal was a bit controversial as the striker scored after an offside flag went up. Argentine referee Horacio Elizondo ruled the goal should stand after a protest from the Koreans and a consultation with his linesman.

This is a disappointing result for the South Koreans as they finished fourth when they co-hosted the tournament in 2002. They did not play too badly in this match but the Swiss had the luck and made their chances count. The news of France taking the lead against Togo had probably put pressure on them and they were not able to play the patient game which they are accustomed to. They had no choice but to attack and win to qualify but this left a lot of gaps at the back for the Swiss to exploit.

The Swiss once again demonstrated a strong team ethics and looked very dangerous at set pieces, with Yakin a revelation in his first international start for more than nine months. He set up the first goal for Senderos and showed no signs of rustiness. Switzerland are the only team yet to concede a goal in the World Cup so far and by topping the group, they get to avoid the highly rated Spain.

However, an injury to defender Senderos when he dislocated his shoulder in the second half will have an effect on their defence as he has proven himself to be a valuable member of the team. Nevertheless, Soccer Pundit feels that they have a more than even chance of progressing into the quarter finals given their excellent defensive record so far and the Ukraine attack is not exactly looking sharp despite featuring the top-notch Shevchenko. If they can shackle Shev, then the job is half done...