Switzerland are still alive at the World Cup, but one weakness is becoming harder to ignore.

The Nati have had 19 corners at the tournament so far. None of them have led to a goal.

For a team that has often relied on structure, physical presence and small margins, that is a problem. Knockout football is rarely generous, and set pieces can decide matches when open play becomes tight.

According to Blick, Switzerland’s staff are aware of the issue, with goalkeeper coach Patrick Foletti now also playing an important role in the team’s set-piece work.

Read also: “Celebrate with responsibility”: Mexico joy turns to tragedy as 3 fans die

Nineteen corners, no reward

The numbers are blunt.

Switzerland have taken 19 corners at this World Cup, but the return has been zero goals.

Their most dangerous set-piece moment was a deflected Dan Ndoye free kick against Bosnia-Herzegovina, but that also failed to end in the net.

At the other end, Switzerland have already conceded once from a corner. That makes the imbalance even more frustrating for Murat Yakin’s staff.

Read also: “He is severely injured”: Swedish man hurt after World Cup screening in Copenhagen

Foletti, who has been part of the national team setup for 15 years, sees progress in one area, but not enough in another.

“We have played against teams who are extremely strong and varied from set pieces. We defended well against that. The organisation is right,” he said.

The delivery is the problem

The concern is not the plan inside the penalty area.

It is the ball into it.

Read also: Serena Williams loses Wimbledon comeback after three-set fight

“The movements in the box are fine,” Foletti said. “But our crosses are simply not precise enough. We clearly still have room for improvement there.”

That is the heart of Switzerland’s problem.

A clever run means little if the delivery is too short, too deep or too easy to defend. The criticism naturally puts focus on the players taking the corners, including Ruben Vargas, Michel Aebischer and Fabian Rieder.

But the coaching staff must also find the answer quickly.

Read also: USA vs Bosnia-Herzegovina prediction: World Cup 2026 preview, lineups & prediction

A strength has gone missing

Switzerland know they can be dangerous from corners.

At the start of World Cup qualifying, they scored three times from them, with Manuel Akanji, Nico Elvedi and Breel Embolo all benefiting from that route to goal.

Since then, the production has dried up.

According to the same Keystone-SDA report, Switzerland have gone 11 international matches without scoring from a set piece, excluding penalties.

Read also: UEFA hits 14 top clubs with financial sanctions: "This is a warning to the rest of you"

For Foletti, the issue is not only technical. It is also mental.

“It is a question of mentality,” he said. “We have to make the players aware again that set pieces can decide tight matches, especially at a tournament like this.”

A science behind the scenes

Switzerland’s set-piece work is far from casual.

Before every opponent, the video analysts prepare a playlist of 150 to 200 clips involving corners and wide free kicks. Foletti studies the material to look for attacking patterns, while assistant coach Davide Callà analyses how the opponent defends.

The staff then narrow the material down to the five to seven most important examples before discussing them again with analyst Adnan Alicajic.

“In the end, there is a final product: this is how we want to defend set pieces, this is how we want to attack with them,” Foletti explained.

That plan is then presented to head coach Murat Yakin, who has the final say.

Small details may decide Switzerland’s fate

Set pieces are not glamorous work, but at a World Cup they can be decisive.

Switzerland do not need to dominate every match to go deeper in the tournament. They need to survive moments, defend their box and punish opponents when opportunities come.

Right now, the defending looks more reliable than the attacking.

That has to change.

The plans are there. The runs are there. The analysis is there.

Now Switzerland need the delivery.