Bazza the Bluenose has written our 2nd blog for the telegraph.

As I get older, I find that I sleep less and the slightest thing wakes me up. I am bordering on insomnia and I am looking for a cure. I have tried everything; counting sheep, reading the Bible, drinking Horlicks but all to no avail. I would try having sex but I find my wife falls asleep during so no help there. Then it came to me in a flash; why not try watching Switzerland in the World Cup?

My recollection of The Swiss playing football is not a good one. The first time I remember them was in the 1966 Finals held in England when they failed to win a game, scored only a single goal and conceded nine over their three games for an early trip home. Their performances were forgettable to say the least. Recent performances coming in to the World Cup do not auger well.

In their last five friendlies, all at home, they have lost to Uruguay, Norway and Costa Rica with draws against Israel; a riveting 0 – 0 draw but they did gain a creditable 1 – 1 draw against the World Cup holders, Italy in their last match only one week ago. Goals are not exactly what the Swiss are noted for and they have only mustered two in these last five games conceding five in the process.

Their chances do not exactly look bright in a group containing Spain and Chile who performed well in the South American round robin qualifying tournament with only Brazil finishing above them. Honduras look their best hope for a win so it seems they must get something out of the Chile game if they are to progress as I cannot see them getting anything but beat against the Spanish.

Switzerland rely heavily on Alexander Frei, the Basel forward whose impressive 40 goals in 73 internationals along with Hakin Yakin’s 20 goals from midfield in 80 games offer their best chance of registering on the score sheet. Blaise Nkufo, a forward who plies his trade for the Seattle Sounders in the USA is the next highest scorer in the current squad with 7 in 29 appearances.

At the last world Cup in 2006, the Swiss did actually achieve the distinction of not losing a game (won 2 drew 2) but moreover did not concede a goal throughout the tournament, the only team thus far to have done so. They only scored four and they went out in round 2 in a truly dreadful game to Ukraine on penalties following a stifling 0 – 0 stalemate after 120 minutes of some of the worst football I have ever seen at this level and how many spot kicks did they score in the shoot out? Yes you’ve guessed it; null points! They lost 3 – 0. Ukraine were little better to be fair. I suspect that Switzerland will provide plenty of soporific quality to cure my condition proving that the cuckoo clock downstairs doesn’t wake me up!