If Switzerland are going to shed their reputation as World Cup party-poopers, then their impish winger Xherdan Shaqiri is the man to do it. Fun is not a word usually associated with Switzerland’s national team, who have scored five goals and conceded one in their last seven games at the World Cup, yet it is something the 22-year-old Kosovo-born player thrives on.
Enormously difficult to dispossess, Shaqiri’s habit of running at the opposition, turning and firing in a quick shot or cross with his left foot creates a sense of danger every time he has possession. At Bayern, he has also learned the art of threading incisive balls in between defenders.
“He lives on the fun that he has on the pitch and if there’s no fun, it becomes difficult for him. He’s a real street footballer,” said Thorsten Fink, who coached him at Basel.

Wingers could help Ecuador take flight
A quick look at Ecuador’s World Cup qualifying campaign would lead to the conclusion that their biggest strength was playing home matches at high altitude in Quito.
Generally regarded as the weakest of South America’s six representatives, Ecuador won seven games and drew one at the Atahualpa, their mountain fortress at 2,800 metres above sea level, while on the road they managed only three draws and five defeats.
Coach Reinaldo Rueda, however, is having none of it, saying there is much more to his team than just a piece of geographical  fortune.
“Ecuador qualified because we have good players working well, not because of altitude,” he said.
The Andean nation had never played at the World Cup until making their debut in 2002, yet have now qualified for three of the last four tournaments.

Numbers do not
favour Honduras
Honduras’s World Cup record is little to shout about before their third appearance at the finals. Los Catrachos have never progressed beyond the first round, have never won a game and they did not score a goal in their last appearance.
Group rivals France will not fear them but Ecuador and Switzerland have reasons to believe that Honduras could defy the odds and reach the last 16 for the first time. Switzerland exited the 2010 World Cup after a 0-0 draw against Honduras in their final group match while Ecuador know Luis Fernando Suarez well.