Super league teams remain unscathed in the cup | September 14, 2024
The Young Boys went into the break in Vevey with a two-goal lead. They conceded two goals and ended the game with a 3-2 victory.
Cedric Itten (front) scored the second goal for the Young Boys on Saturday.Photo: Keystone
The Super League clubs have so far remained unscathed in the second round of the Swiss Cup. Winterthur saved itself in the penalty shootout in Wil, the Young Boys were almost punished for slacking off in Vevey, and St. Gallen had some trouble in Ticino.
Matteo Di Giusto gave FC Winterthur an early lead against the St. Gallen underdog from the Challenge League, but Simone Rapp equalized for the hosts after an hour, and Aaron Appiah scored to make it 2-1 for Wil in the 104th minute when Winterthur goalie Stefanos Kapino and defender Granit Lekaj got in each other’s way during a defensive move. It was not until the 117th minute that Remo Arnold saved the visitors and sent them to the penalty shootout. In this, Kapino saved attempts by Jason Parente and Ruben Dantas, while all Winterthur players scored.
The Young Boys took the lead after half an hour against Promotion League opponents Vevey-Sports with a double strike by Alan Virginius and Cedric Itten, but then took things a little too easy, probably with an eye on the Champions League away game at Aston Villa on Tuesday, so that the hosts were able to equalize in the second half with a double goal by Ilyas Chaïbi (53rd/74th minute). It was only the 3:2 by Darian Males in the 82nd minute that finally decided the game in favor of the upper class team.
St. Gallen is sweating in Ticino
Almost an hour had been played on Lake Lugano when Christian Witzig scored St. Gallen’s first lead. Before that, the ambitious Promotion League club Paradiso had made the Eastern Swiss team sweat. Evan Rossier, who had come from Lausanne, needed just five minutes to put the underdogs in the lead, and after 20 minutes Albert Vallci equalized with St. Gallen’s first chance.
Both before and after the 2-1, goalkeeper Lawrence Ati-Zigi, who was somewhat surprisingly chosen over St. Gallen’s usual cup goalie Lukas Watkowiak, had to intervene decisively. In the end, however, the Eastern Swiss team avoided a disgrace like last year in Delémont. Three minutes before the end, substitute Kevin Csoboth made the decision.
FCZ, Lugano and Lausanne also exist
Like Young Boys and St. Gallen, and the day before Grasshoppers, Sion and Yverdon, FC Zurich, Lugano and Lausanne-Sport also held their own against lower-class opponents. Zurich won 3-0 against second division team Le Communal Sport Le Locle. Lugano, who have recently reached the cup final three times in a row, beat last year’s Yverdon conquerors Rapperswil-Jona from the Promotion League 3-1, while Lausanne-Sport beat second division team Aemme from Bern 4-0.
Ifeanyi Mathew, Antonio Marchesano and Umeh Emmanuel scored for FCZ in the second half, Milton Valenzuela, Daniel dos Santos and Mattia Bottani for Lugano, before Merlin Hadzi scored the consolation goal for Rapperswil-Jona. Teddy Okou and Karim Sow each scored twice for Lausanne-Sport.
Lausanne-Ouchy still in the doldrums
The biggest surprise of the second round so far is the elimination of Stade Lausanne-Ouchy. After a disappointing start to the championship, the Challenge League relegated team also failed to find their way in the cup. The Vaudois team lost 0:1 to first division side Langenthal. The only goal for the Bernese team was scored by former Grasshopper Amel Rustemoski in the second minute.
The round of 32
Play on Friday
FC Thun Bernese Oberland (ChL) – Grasshopper Club Zurich (SL), 0:2 (0:1)
SC Emmen (2. Int.) – Yverdon Sport FC (SL), 1:2 (1:2)
SC YF Juventus (1.) – FC Sion (SL), 0:2 (0:1)
FC Monthey (1.) – Etoile Carouge FC (ChL), 0:2 (0:2)
FC Besa 1 (2nd) – FC Biel-Bienne 1896 (PL)1:6 (0:2)
On Saturday,
FC Luzern (1.) – FC Stade Lausanne-Ouchy (ChL) 1:0 (1:0)
FC Paradiso (PL) – FC St.Gallen 1879 (SL) 1:3 (1:1)
FC Rapperswil-Jona (PL) – FC Lugano (SL) 1:3 (0:0)
FC Aemme (2.) – FC Lausanne-Sport (SL) 0:4 (0:1)
Vevey-Sports (PL) – BSC Young Boys (SL) 2:4 (0:2)
FC Wil 1900 (ChL) – FC Winterthur (SL), 6 p.m.
FC Le Communal Sport Le Locle (2.) – FC Zurich (SL) 0:3 (0:0)
Play on Sunday
FC Schaffhausen (ChL) – Servette FC (SL), 2.30 p.m.
FC Gambarogno-Contone (2nd Int.) – AC Bellinzona (ChL), 4pm
FC Aarau (ChL) – FC Luzern (SL), 4 p.m.
FC Stade Nyonnais (ChL) – FC Basel 1893 (SL), 4.30 p.m.
