CZECHS AND SWISS DRAW: 1-1
— Louis Delblat | 29/05/1924 —

The Stade Bergeyre was packed yesterday when at 17:08 the Norwegian M. Andersen whistled the kick-off of the Czechoslovakia-Switzerland match. Let's say right away that the game was a draw (1-1) although extra time was used. The Czechs scored on a penalty in the first half. The Swiss equalized in the second.

The teams were thus composed:

Czechoslovakia: Štaplik; Hojer, Seifert; Kolenatý, Káďa, Červený; Sedláček, Štapl, Čapek, Vlček, Jelínek.

Switzerland: Pulver; Reymond, Ramseyer; Oberhauser, Schmiedlin, Pollitz; Ehrenbolager, Stuzenegger, Dietrich, Abegglen, Bédouret.

In the first half, the Czechs dominated slightly. However, they were distinguished by irregularities in the game, which is deplorable, and by a few shots, which is better.

On a run and a cross from Jelinek, Ramseyer touched the ball with his hand. A penalty followed that Štapl converted into a goal in the 19th minute.

A few beautiful Swiss runs remained without result. At half-time, Czechoslovakia was therefore leading by a goal to nil.

The first minutes of the second half were to the advantage of the Swiss, however, insufficiently supported in attack by their half-backs. The Swiss forwards started a few fine attacks, but they failed against the Czech defensive trio.

On a corner in favor of the Czechs, centre-forward Čapek brutally charged Pulver. Čapek was just taken off the field by the referee.

The Swiss are pressing. In the 34th minute Dietrich, with an unforgiving shot, scores the goal that will tie the teams.

The end comes. Two extra periods of fifteen minutes each will be played. They will not produce any results. The Czechs will deliberately play off-side by using only one full-back.

A free kick for the Czechs is suddenly blocked by Pulver. A shot by Dietrich suffers the same fate at the hands of Štaplík.

In the second extra period, the game will be absolutely ordinary. The Czechs playing unluckily will have a teammate come off the field, seriously injured. They will therefore finish with nine. Two minutes before the end, Abegglen scores a goal that is off-side. A few seconds later, he grazes the post. It is the end. The match is postponed to tomorrow Friday, at 17:00, at the Stade Bergeyre.

The Czechs disappointed. I saw them in action last Sunday against Turkey. They left me with an excellent impression that was refuted yesterday. Obviously they know how to handle the ball, control it perfectly, pass delightfully. But how slow and ineffective in front of goal. Their game, if theoretically pure, is of a desperate monotony. Their best players were the goalkeeper Štaplik, the full-back Hojer, the right half-back Kolenatý, the centre-half Káďa. The forwards were average, nothing more.

The Swiss were not, either, transcendent. They seemed tired at certain moments, even depressed. There was often a gap between their offensive quintuplet and the intermediate trio.

On the other hand, the Swiss defence, made up of Pulver, Reymond and Ramseyer, was outstanding. They broke the Czech attacks with relative ease.

Schmiedlin was active, although his start to the game was pitiful as a service to the forwards. Pollitz and Oberhauser were good in defence, mediocre in attack.

Of the forwards, the best was undoubtedly the inside left Abegglen who is a player of small size, but great class. After him, Dietrich and Stuzenegger, but especially the first, were quite good. Of the two wingers, Bédouret was the slowest. It did not appear that he was in sufficient physical condition to play a match of this importance.

The referee, Mr. Andersen, had a rather delicate task, because of the robustness of the game, the irregularities of the Czechs and the way in which the latter were able to force the off-side. He got out of his difficult role in a very honorable manner.