Switzerland’s women will meet Israel in a playoff for a place at the World Cup. Friday’s first leg will be played behind closed doors in Mezőkövesd, Hungary, with the return match scheduled for October 13 in Sion.
Forward Ana-Maria Crnogorčević told SRF that Switzerland expected Israel to defend deep, likely in a 5-4-1 formation. She said her team would need patience to find openings and planned to move the ball quickly to create overloads on the wings.
Israel are 66th in the FIFA world rankings, 40 places below Switzerland. Crnogorčević has recently played as a fullback for the national team. Forward Seraina Piubel also expects a physical contest.
The 36-year-old Crnogorčević hopes to end her international career by playing at next summer’s World Cup in Brazil. She said her focus was on the upcoming playoff matches and on enjoying time with teammates she has played alongside for many years.