Young guns lead Swiss' return to WC

Geneva: Switzerland is finally back in the World Cup finals after a 12-year absence.

After a surprisingly gritty qualifying campaign, Switzerland was drawn into Group G with France, South Korea and Togo.

The draw and a good, young team could mean the Alpine nation, which will be playing at the World Cup for the eighth time, will advance to the second round.

Reaching the quarter-finals, which it did at home 52 years ago, might be tougher.

"We're no longer simply satisfied to be there. We want to reach the following stages," Switzerland coach Koebi Kuhn said.

"This won't be an easy group but our goal is to advance then see what happens."

Though the days of Stephane Chapuisat, Ciriaco Sforza and company are over, an ambitious new crop of Swiss players have made for an exciting amalgam of youthful innovation and experience.

Switzerland launched a development programme in 1995, which is now paying off.

The nation won its first ever continental title in the under-17 European Championship in 2002 and some believe they could emerge as a dark horse in Germany.

Philipp Senderos, Tranquillo Barnetta and Johan Vonlanthen, all 21 or under, already play abroad and bring both new blood and an element of fearlessness to the Swiss team.

"Our young players in particular have learned that we can beat the big teams," Kuhn said.

"We've beaten the big nations, like Italy, Germany, England and France in the under-17s and under-21s. In the past we've been accused of lacking confidence but our young players aren't afraid of anyone."

The team, which usually plays in a 4-3-1-2 formation, is generally slow in central defense.

Their strengths are dogged teamwork as well as the youthful yet fearsome combination up front of Vonlanthen and Rennes striker Alexander Frei, who scored seven goals in qualifying.

A charismatic leader and the top scorer in France last season, Frei is also well known for spitting at England's Steven Gerrard during the 2004 European Championship.

Vonlanthen, currently on loan to NAC Breda from PSV Eindhoven, broke Wayne Rooney's record as the youngest goal scorer at a major international tournament at Euro 2004.

AC Milan's defensive midfield organiser Johann Vogel and Ricardo Cabanas of FC Cologne will likely be positioned behind Hamburg's Raphael Wicky and Barnetta, a hardworking goal-scoring midfielder who plays for Bayer Leverkusen.

Stuttgart's attack-minded Ludovic Magnin, who scored the equalizer against France in qualifying, should start on the left with Borussia Dortmund's Philipp Degen to his right.

Pascal Zuberbuehler, experienced but inconsistent, will likely be in the net.

Arsenal's Senderos will probably lead the defense with Lyon's Patrick Mueller.

The experienced Yakin brothers, Murat and Hakan, are both uncertain due to health problems.

The team went unbeaten in qualifying, and twice drew with France in Group 4. But repeated draws left Switzerland sweating it out until the very end when it finally beat out Israel for second place behind France.