Getting your
Trinity Audioplayer ready...SANTA CLARA – The 68,000 fans who braved the hot Santa Clara sun to watch Switzerland face Qatar in the Bay Area’s World Cup opener at Levi’s Stadium rarely raised their voices beyond anything resembling a mild hum.
That is, until Boualem Khoukhi flew into the box and equalized the match with a 95th-minute header that gave Qatar its first point in its short World Cup history and carried the nation to a stunning 1-1 draw with the powerful Swiss.
Fellow attacker Akram Afif fell to his knees in both joy and disbelief after the final whistle blew, taking in the roars coming from his countrymen who had made the long trip to the United States.
“We are very, very … we are very proud of ourselves, first point in our history,” he said. “Hopefully, next game, three points, so it will be double the history.”
In a game that Switzerland dominated for the majority of the time, only some halfhearted chants by the Swiss superfans in the second deck cut through.
There were the polite claps after good attacks by the Swiss, sarcastic whistles by the Qatari fans after their team again failed to mount a threat.
But the passion, the kind of frenetic energy FIFA’s advertising associates with the World Cup? That must have been hiding with the thousands of fans who ducked into the air-conditioned concourses in an attempt to escape the heat.
What could have been a statement by the Bay Area became barely a whisper — an event that had about as much verve as an Earthquakes friendly against an anonymous semi-pro team.
Which, considering the lack of star power for Qatar – ranked 59th in the FIFA power rankings – against the strong Swiss side, was an apt comparison in terms of quality on the field, too.
That all changed when Homam Ahmed’s cross connected with Khoukhi and sent the fans into a frenzy, a collective that was acknowledged by the team after the final whistle blew.
“I need to thank my friends, my teammates, my manager and, of course, our Qatari fans,” goalkeeper Mahmoud Abunada said. “They deserve everything.”
On a day that saw 90-degree temperatures, most attendees seemed content to mingle as long as possible before kickoff in the fan zones outside, where the breeze was.
Fans of the involved countries were joined by Mexicans, Argentines, Japanese and Americans, all easily identified by the jerseys they wore.
A beer that cost $23 or tacos that rang one up for $7 apiece? The international visitors could not get enough of Californian food at distinctly Bay Area prices.
One Swiss supporter simply shrugged and smiled when asked if he was fine with paying such exorbitant fees.
Once fans made their way into their scorching seats, they sat through 15 minutes of pageantry.
One half of the pitch was enveloped by a Qatari flag, the other was covered by a red rectangle emblazoned with a white cross.
The Qataris, garbed in white robes with red sashes, sat directly behind the goal in the lower bowl. Among them was one of the country’s tourism ambassadors who, a half-hour before, had been posing for photos with random fans.
You never know who one will see in the Levi’s Stadium parking lot.
The Swiss superfans were relegated to forming a bright red block in the second deck, even though they were the ones doing most of the cheering on Saturday afternoon.
Qatar had a chance to score in the opening minutes when Edmilson Junior wrestled the ball away from a Swiss defender, but his shot was blocked on a breakaway.
The stadium went silent in the 14th minute when Abunada was left splayed out on the grass after Remo Freuler rammed his leg into the keeper’s head in the box.
Abunada eventually rose to his feet, but was still given a yellow card and watched as Breel Embolo smashed the penalty kick into the bottom left corner for the Swiss’ only goal in the 17th minute. Embolo’s presence at the game was no given: Visa issues kept him off the Swiss flight last week, only for him to be cleared to enter the U.S. days later.
That is where the score stayed in the 24th minute, when the teams participated in a mandatory three-minute hydration break. Even the grass got some fresh water as the grounds crew activated the sprinklers.
Switzerland dominated possession and unleashed attack after attack on the overwhelmed Qatari defense, and the fans had to do something else to entertain themselves.
They did the wave in the 38th minute, making several laps around the stadium before finally petering out. Junior got his second chance at scoring in the 42nd, but his shot was easily saved by keeper Gregor Kobel.
The 1-0 halftime lead belied how dominant Switzerland had been over the first 45 minutes. Not much changed in the second half, as the Swiss finished with 68% possession overall and completed 521 passes to Qatar’s 196. But Qatar’s fourth and final shot on goal proved the difference between a loss and a thrilling comeback point earned.
“I think the last five to 10 minutes, we could’ve done better and had more control of the game,” Swiss manager Murat Yakin said. “The opponent wasn’t very interested in bothering us. They were waiting for their one opportunity, and they took advantage of it.”
Switzerland will take on Bosnia at Inglewood’s SoFi Stadium on the same day. Qatar will seek to keep the shock energy going against host Canada on Thursday in Vancouver.
“A big win, and I hope in the future, we can do a lot of the same,” Abunada said.