HANOVER, June 25, 2006 (AFP) - Switzerland coach Kobi Kuhn is tipping the in-form Alexander Frei to be the big cheese amongst the goalscorers at the World Cup. The 26-year-old, the former bad boy of Swiss football who was sent home in disgrace from the 2004 Euro Championships for spitting at Englands Steven Gerrard, has netted twice in Switzerlands march to the last 16. The want-away Rennes striker netted Switzerlands first goal in the 2-0 victory over Togo and caused an uproar amongst the South Korean players when he slid the ball home from a suspiciously offside position in the Group G crunch match on Friday. Frei has recently recovered from injury and Kuhn is delighted that the striker, who has now scored 27 goals for Switzerland, is peaking at the World Cup. "He has come back well after a long injury," said 62-year-old Kuhn. "He had two games with Rennes and then joined the national squad which gave him the opportunity to come back into form. "I think he can score more goals in the competition. Whether or not he will be the best of the strikers, I do not know, but there is a chance." Kuhn, whose popularity has skyrocketed since he led Switzerland through a tough World Cup qualifying group, was also full of praise for his stingy defence which has yet to concede a goal at the World Cup. He singled out Pascal Zuberbuhler who has silenced his critics with three clean sheets making him the only goalkeeper not to concede a goal in the first round. "No goals scored against us in three matches - I am grateful to the defence and goalie," said the silver-haired Kuhn. "Pascal (Zuberbuhler) is the only keeper not to have had a goal scored against him in the World Cup. "If I did not think he could play well (for us) I would not have made him my number one goalkeeper for the World Cup." Kuhn added that the players were growing in confidence and there was a belief that they could beat Ukraine and advance to the quarter-finals. "We have a very strong opponent to play in the next round but we are confident enough in ourselves to say it will be possible to advance to the last eight," he said. Switzerland, though, have suffered a serious blow with the tournament-ending injury to outstanding young defender Philippe Senderos after the Arsenal centreback dislocated his shoulder in the second half. Swiss team doctor Rudolf Roeder said that 21-year-old Senderos had also damaged ligaments and would be out for a minimum of two weeks. "There is a 50 percent chance he will require an operation but the most important thing is rest for now," said Roeder. The likely replacement for Senderos will be close friend and Arsenal team-mate, 19-year-old Johan Djourou.
Please note: Bonusbrowser.com is an independent informational guide to
online poker rooms, online casinos, online sports rooms, online slot sites,
online bingo sites and online backgammon sites. The site does not provide
gambling services and only provides content that is displayed on websites of
gaming operators. Online gaming firms are licensed in a variety of
jurisdictions including European states such as Austria, Malta and
Gibraltar. Please always check where the gaming firm you are using is
licensed. By accessing this site you agree that you shall not use this site
from jurisdictions where online gambling is not permitted. This includes
the USA and Germany where online gambling and online wagering is prohibited. Regardless of where you
live, online gambling should only be something you do for fun and never for
profit. If you have a gambling problem or find yourself "chasing losses" or
losing money that you did not intend to play then we recommend you get in
touch with organizations that can help you immediately. Examples of such
organizations are Gamcare.co.uk and
Gamblers Anonymous
select * from tracking_visitor_master where visitor_session = 'b0530f9a8e4c6a48232f47862fa56dbc'Table 'bonus_db.tracking_visitor_master' doesn't exist
