ESPN FC's Craig Burley reacts to Switzerland's 1-1 draw with a surprisingly resolute Romania side.
PARIS --Three points from Switzerland and Romania's 1-1draw in their second Group A match at the European Championship.1. Swiss lack unityThe big news before the match was not especially good news for the Swiss: Xherdan Shaqiri made a poorly timedpronouncement about his loyalties. He affirmed that he would consider leaving the Swiss side for Kosovo, newly recognized by UEFA and the country of his birth, were heoffered the captaincy. "Of course, I am thinking about it then," he said. Shaqiri is perhaps rightly disappointed to have been overlooked for the Swiss lead in favor of Stephan Lichtsteiner, but there had been a general sense that any further conversations about his future would waituntil the end of Euro. Apparently not.Perhaps it's just football and its vagaries, but the Swiss certainly seemed like a team torn in two against Romania,struggling to a 1-1 draw that would have been forgettable if it weren't so unexpected. After being lucky in some ways to earn the win in their opener against Albania -- saved only by their keeper Yann Sommer -- the Swiss looked disorganized and even hostile toward each other at times against the Romanians. There were crumbling lines and plenty of heated conversation on the pitch, especially after Romania's Bogdan Stancu scored on a penalty to take the lead in the 18th minute.The larger difficulty is that the Swiss have several playerswho were born in Kosovo or have Kosovar heritage and could be permitted to switch sides mid-career: Valon Behrami, Granit Xhaka, and Admir Mehmedi were among Wednesday's other potentially lost starters. It's a fascinating situation that seemingly risks both the immediateand long-term future of the Swiss national team.2. Romania surpriseIn two matches against favored opponents -- most of the countries in this tournament would have been favored against the Romanians, who before Wednesday had only a single Euro victory to their credit -- the men in yellow have played some pretty inspiring football.They nearly managed a draw against France in their opener, and they played the same physical, patient game against the Swiss. A reported 70 percent of Romanians tuned in to watch their nation's return to Euro, which seems like an incredible number, but they aren't a hard team to like. No stars, not a lot of technical ability, but areal sense of order broken only by some flashes of speed.(Gabriel Torje leaves vapor trails.) They played in some ways like the anti-Swiss.The penalty, earned when Lichtsteiner blatantly tugged Alexandru Chipciu's jersey into a sail, was perfectly takenby Stancu, a rare opportunity but one that was fully seized. They were sometimes exposed by the superior Swiss attack but they never seemed especially in danger oflosing the match. The only goal they allowed was a perfectvolley from Mehmedi in the 57th minute that came after abroken play. A result in their last group-stage outing against Albania could see them with a chance, unexpectedly,to advance. Maybe Romania will get 80 percent of their country watching then.3. Sommer's audition continuesEvery international tournament serves to advance a select few club careers. Like Keylor Navas' emergence during the World Cup in Brazil, Swiss keeper Sommer might be oneof the beneficiaries of continental attention. At 6 foot, he'sa little short by modern standards, but he was terrific against Albania and solid against Romania. He had no chance on the penalty, but later in the game he made a good diving stop on a long, swerving free kick. He's undercontract with Borussia Monchengladbach, but Manchester City have reportedly been circling, and he's expressed openness to a transfer to the Premier League. Another strong performance against France in the group-stage finale could lead to a move to England.
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