World Cup NOW: Switzerland ties New Zealand to keep a clean sheet

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Switzerland and New Zealand battled to a scoreless tie Sunday in their third game of Group A play. Although the scoreboard doesn’t hint at much action, the stalemate match was rife with attacks and counterattacks, especially by Women’s World Cup co-host New Zealand. But the Swiss team displayed a stifling defense that rebuffed each drive into the final third. Despite their best efforts, the Football Ferns couldn’t find the net and have been eliminated from the tournament.

The “World Cup NOW” crew — Jimmy Conrad, Heather O’Reilly and Stu Holden — discuss the style of hunkering down and playing defense that Switzerland used to find success in the group stage, as well as what this experience for co-host New Zealand means for the country going forward.

O’Reilly: “Survive and advance!”

Conrad: “What’s interesting about the Swiss, three consecutive clean sheets, so they haven’t given up anything, very tight defensively, scored two goals in three games, so it’s effective, but it’s not aesthetically pleasing, to your guys’ points.”

Holden: “[New Zealand] took their foot off the gas a little bit [against the Phillipines] but that moment they had in that first game [against Norway] is so special for the country.… The game that they would’ve circled as they one that they could’ve won was the Philippines.”

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