World Cup debutants Switzerland eased to their first ever finals victory with a 10-1 mauling of Ecuador in Group C. It was a record-breaking afternoon in Vancouver, as the 11 goals netted in total matched the highest number ever scored in a World Cup game.
Having conceded 6 goals to Cameroon 4 days prior, Ecuador’s defence had reason to be unconfident, and their resistance lasted just shy of 25 minutes against the speedy Swiss attack.
The South Americans fell behind in unfortunate fashion when Fabienne Humm’s darting run and pull back caused Angie Ponce to divert the ball past her own keeper.
Ecuador might have had a penalty shortly after as Rahel Kiwic clumsily ended Quinteros’ strong run into the box, but the Malaysian official quickly waved away the protests.
At the other end, Kiwic watched on as her header came back off the post from a Swiss corner as the European outfit looked to double their advantage.
The breakthrough came just before half time, when 22 year-old Eseosa Aigbogan tapped in from close range to finish off a neat attacking move, causing the floodgates to open.
Determined to finish the job, the Swiss started the second half with intent. The classy Humm scored the first of her three on 47 minutes with a beautifully placed curling effort from just outside the box, before bagging Switzerland’s 4th two minutes later, nodding home from 6 yards out.
The Swiss number 16 then completed the fastest hat trick in World Cup history by bundling home the fifth of the game on 52 minutes.
Star striker Ramona Bachmann then joined the party by converting a penalty on the hour mark and adding a 7th less than a minute later after a dazzling run through the crumbling Ecuadorian defence.
Ecuador then restored some credibility by pulling one back from the penalty spot when Ponce, atoning for her earlier own goal, coolly slotted the ball into the corner.
But in bizarre fashion, Ponce then completed her own hat trick of sorts, as the defender scored past her own keeper for the second time, this time in a much more calamitous manner by hooking the ball into the far corner.
Midfield veteran Martina Moser netted Switzerland’s 9th with 15 minutes left, her shot stinging the palms of Shirley Berruz before looping up and in, before Bachmann finished the scoring, netting her treble with a clever turn inside the penalty box and smashing past the helpless Berruz.
The emphatic win leaves Switzerland needing just a point from their final group game against Cameroon to finish 2nd and qualify for the knockout stages, and Swiss boss Martina Voss-Tecklenburg wasn’t surprised by the final scoreline.
“I don’t want to sound arrogant, but I was expecting us to score a lot of goals. When we got the second, we knew what was going to happen next.
She added: “When you can score ten goals, you have to score ten goals. We tried to keep on scoring because we knew it could be important in the final group standings.”
As for Ecuador, whilst not mathematically out of the competition, their poor goal difference means it is all but impossible for them to progress. The struggling South Americans face reigning world champions Japan next.
