Switzerland rode its luck to beat the United States 2-1 in a friendly international on Sunday, making a winning start to its European Championship preparations.
The home side, which shares Group A at Euro 2020 with Italy, Turkey and Wales, came from behind to beat a youthful American side, which had plenty of chances to win the game as it looks ahead to the Concacaf Nations League final stages in Colorado.
Substitute Steven Zuber claimed a 63rd-minute winner as the Swiss overcame a sloppy first-half showing, and profited from some poor American finishing, to keep up its unbeaten run this year.
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Sebastian Lietget had the visitor ahead after five minutes, expertly tucking home a shot from just inside the penalty area after Switzerland had failed to clear Giovanni Reyna’s cross.
Its lead lasted only five minutes before Swiss left-back Ricardo Rodriguez crashed home a shot, with the help of a deflection off Reggie Cannon.
Rodriguez might have had a second goal but put wide a penalty just before halftime after Dutch-born American fullback Sergino Dest had handled the ball.
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Lietget, Dest and Joshua Sargent all had first-half chances for the visitor, keeping the experienced Swiss goalkeeper Yann Sommer busy.
After the break it was the U.S. keeper Ethan Horvath in the thick of things, twice denying good scoring chances for Breel Embolo and seeing Remo Freuler and Haris Seferovic conjure up poor misses in the last 10 minutes.
Switzerland next meets neighbour Liechtenstein in St Gallen on Thursday before opening its Euro 2020 campaign against Wales in Baku on June 12.
The U.S. takes on Honduras in a Concacaf Nations League semifinal in Denver on Thursday and will meet either Mexico or Costa Rica in the final or the third-place playoff.
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