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Swiss finish top as Ireland go out
BASEL, Switzerland -- Confident Switzerland secured their passage to the Euro 2004 finals in Portugal when they beat Ireland 2-0. The Swiss struck once in each half with goals from midfielder Hakan Yakin after six minutes and striker Alexander Frei on the hour as the Irish bowed out with a disappointing display. Yakin took advantage of poor defending when he latched onto a cross from Frei and side- stepped goalkeeper Shay Given to score the first. Frei tapped home the second after Raphael Wicky had crossed from the left and Given failed to hold on to Stephane Chapuisat's downward header, spilling the ball to gift Frei his 14th goal in 22 appearances. Ireland attempted to rescue the Group 10 game with three second-half substitutions and greater urgency, but apart from shots high or wide they rarely threatened the Swiss who held on with reasonable comfort to reach the finals of a major tournament for the first time since Euro '96 in England. Meanwhile, Russia secured the playoff berth after coming from a goal down to defeat Georgia 3-1 in Moscow. Alexander Lashvili stunned a 30,000 crowd by giving Georgia a fifth-minute lead but Dmitry Bulykin equalised just before the half-hour. Yegor Titov then fired the home side ahead in first-half injury time and a goal 18 minutes from time from Dmitry Sychev secured victory.
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