Is this to be woe, woe, week-end for English Soccer? Last night, in Basle, before 20,000 people, England "B" were humbled 2—0. Today the No. 1 England team tackles Hungary. The Basle beating, humiliating for England, was a tale of frittered chances and incredibly bad shooting.
Early in the second half England blasted in shots from all angles—over the bar, outside the posts, into the goalkeepers hands. And in the dying minutes of the game Wilshaw bored through twice—and shot wide twice. Nicholls headed a beautiful cross shot right into the keeper's hands from three yards out.
The Swiss goal came one in each half. Straight from the kick-off, Switzerland, playing calm Soccer, as though it was a practise game, swept down the field and right-half Eschmann missed narrowly with a powerful drive that grazed the bar. In the ninth minute, Morand, Swiss right-winger, took the ball down the wing and lofted it into the England penalty area. A scramble, a bad clearance, and the ball trickled to the fight of inside-left Riva. He fired, from three yards outside the penalty area, into the top left corner of the net. No blame to 'keeper Ray King. He was unsighted by his own defence. An equaliser seemed certain in the first half when Wilshaw volleyed a shot just outside the penalty area, but the ball skimmed the bar.
By previous agreement, both sides used substitutes in the second half. Out went King from goal, in came Thompson of Preston. Out went Allen from centre-forward, Wilshaw moved over and Nicholls came in at inside-left. The reshuffle improved the team play, but not the shooting. The second half was a succession of missed chances by England. Against the run of play, in the 62nd minute, a combined forward-passing movement ended with Mauron snapping up a pass by Riva about 13 yards from goal. He swung round and hammered the ball into the bottom left corner of the net. Thompson never had a hope of stopping it. After that the zip went out of England for some time, until that late, but oh so wild rally.
The Swiss team never rose to any great heights in either half, especially in the second. Standard of play was low all round, with the home team just about deserving their win. England were better man for man. If the forwards had only been able to shoot, they would have won with goals to spare. As it was, there was an obvious moral for England: let these Continental-tour teams get together for a few good practise games before sending them in against their opponents. Otherwise England's Soccer prestige abroad will go on declining.