Switzerland vs. Ecuador: Preview

Considering the matches we've been treated to so far in this tournament, Group E has a lot to live up to. There have been plenty of goals (28, to be exact), an equal amount of controversy and all-around great football over the first three days of the competition. 

So, how will Switzerland and Ecuador stack up?

Notoriously tight at the back, the Swiss have only conceded one goal in their last seven World Cup matches. Will they suck the life out of an exciting Ecuador team, or will this wild week of fun continue?

The Details

Teams: Switzerland vs. Ecuador

Time: 12 PM EST

Venue: Estadio Nacional de Brasilia, Brasilia

Television: ABC (U.S. - English), Univision (U.S. - Spanish), CBC (Canada), DIRECTV Play Latin America (Ecuador), TF1 Suisse (Switzerland)

Injury Update

The Swiss come into the match with no injury concerns, as manager Ottmar Hitzfeld has a full squad to chose from. The most difficult decision will likely come in the center of defense, where Hitzfeld will have to decide who partners Steve Von Bergen. Philippe Senderos, Fabian Schar, Johan Djourou and Michael Lang are all options.

As for Ecuador bench boss Reinaldo Rueda, he will have to formulate a plan to compensate for the absence of his best midfielder, Segundo Castillo, who suffered a nasty knee injury in the pre-tournament friendly against Mexico and was ruled out of the competition.

With much of Switzerland's strength coming from their central midfield duo of captain Gokhan Inler and Valon Behrami, the battle for midfield supremacy will be a fascinating one. Can Ecuador make do without Castillo?

Historic Head-To-Head

This will be the first meeting between these two sides.

3 Things To Watch

Jefferson Montero

The star of the Ecuadorian side, the 24-year-old is one of the players who figures to play himself into a big transfer with an impressive tournament. What better way to start that process than with a match against one of the teams that figure to be among the best defensive sides in the competition.

As he goes, so does the Ecuador attack.

That makes this news very encouraging:

Blessed with pace and possessing both the willingness and ability to beat defenders in one-on-one situations, Montero will have the chance to show the world why he is so revered among South American pundits.

Ricardo Rodriguez vs. Antonio Valencia

This could easily be billed as a prize fight, as two of the more physically imposing players in the tournament will go head-to-head, punching and counter-punching with attacking runs to pin their opponent back inside their own half of the pitch.

Swiss left-back Ricardo Rodriguez, broad-shouldered and powerful, often dominates smaller, quicker wingers with his upper-body strength before going on a rampaging run down the flank.

In sturdy Ecuadorian star Antonio Valencia, he will get a player who has the necessary attributes to push back and give him some problems. Fast as he is strong, Valencia is about as classic a winger as you'll find. He'll look to get in behind and deliver crosses into the box as often as possible.

Also, as the feisty friendly against England showed, the Manchester United man will not be too shy to let Rodriguez know if he doesn't like a tackle that comes his way. 

This matchup should be fantastic.

Can Switzerland create enough going forward?

Despite their deserved reputation as a solid defensive side, Ottmar Hitzfeld's team does boast some exciting attacking talent, with Bayern Munich winger Xherdan Shaqiri chief among the names.

Built like a miniature tank, the left-footer will be tasked with using his pace to open up an Ecuadorian defense that looked somewhat suspect in the build-up to the tournament. With Josip Drmic in good form and expected to get the nod up front, this could be the match that sees Switzerland get some attention for their attacking qualities as well as their defensive resoluteness.

Or, this could just be the same Swiss side we have come to know and ... I'm hesitant to complete that phrase, because not many people 'love' 0-0 games.