France and Switzerland clash in Salvador for the lead.
The teams will play at Arena Fonte Nova at 16 PM, attempting to gain momentum in Group E and reach six points; the teams held mysterious training sessions and coaches preached respect; on the French side, the highlight is striker Benzema, who scored two goals in the opening match and is a key player for the team in this World Cup; for fans, the organizers state that the best option to reach the stadium is public transportation, and this mobility plan will also be used for the match between Germany and Portugal.
World Cup Portal - France and Switzerland will face off this Friday (20), at 16 pm, at Arena Fonte Nova, in Salvador. The match, valid for Group E of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, will be the third held in the capital of Bahia. If the French and Swiss maintain their form, a game with many goals is expected.
In just two matches at Fonte Nova, 10 goals were scored, an impressive average of five per game. Salvador's World Cup debut was with the Netherlands' 5-1 thrashing of reigning champions Spain. Then, Germany crushed Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal 4-0.
This Friday, France and Switzerland will play for the lead in Group E. The French started with a good 3-0 victory over Honduras in Porto Alegre. The Swiss began their World Cup campaign with a thrilling 2-1 win over Ecuador in Brasília, with a goal in the final minutes.
This Thursday (June 19.06th), both teams were at Arena Fonte Nova to hold their final training session before the match and give press conferences. The atmosphere on both sides was one of mystery. Both teams only allowed the first 15 minutes for the press to observe. Journalists were only allowed to see the players warming up before being taken off the field.
Neighbors in Europe, the two countries maintained diplomacy when discussing the game. Switzerland's coach, Ottmar Hitzfeld, even went overboard with his praise. "They behave like a machine. They've scored 21 goals in their last six matches. They're a team that reorganizes very quickly. We have to maintain our aggressive philosophy and transition quickly from defense to attack," advised the Swiss coach.
On the French side, Didier Deschamps was more moderate in his praise and didn't want to point to any favoritism for his opponents in the match, even though the FIFA ranking places them in 6th position, compared to France's 17th. "I'm not going to say they're favorites, but it's not by chance that they're 6th in the ranking. We're going to play against a very high-quality opponent," Deschamps assessed.
Tips for getting to Fonte Nova
For fans attending the France vs. Switzerland match this Friday, the best options are public transportation. The mobility plan will be the same as that used for the Germany vs. Portugal game. The changes implemented by the Salvador Transit and Transportation Authority (Transalvador) have had an effect on the number of buses available, but fans who opted to go by car or taxi still faced heavy traffic.
Therefore, the best options are buses, the subway, or bicycles. Bus lines available on game days depart from strategic points in the city towards Fonte Nova. Those who don't want to leave their car at home can park their vehicle in places like the Barra, Salvador Norte, Bela Vista, Iguatemi, and Salvador shopping malls and take public transport from there. The interval between trips on each line will be between five and ten minutes.
To use the subway, you need to register at the Bela Vista shopping mall, near the North Access to the subway. Just look for the CCR Bahia company booth, which is responsible for the equipment, on the L2 floor. You need a game ticket to use the subway.