Switzerland Book World Cup Round-of-16 Spot with Draw Against Costa Rica

Switzerland booked their spot in the round of 16 of the 2018 FIFA World Cup with a 2-2 draw against Costa Rica on Wednesday.

The European side controlled their own destiny after their last-gasp win over Serbia on Friday and took care of business in Group E.

Goals from Blerim Dzemaili and Josip Drmic canceled out Kendall Waston's effort and Yann Sommer's unfortunate own goal, handing the Swiss second place in the group behind Brazil.

Here are the key takeaways from this match.

Lichtsteiner, Schar Suspensions Could Doom Swiss' World Cup Run

Switzerland needed just a draw against Costa Rica to advance and decided to rest several players as a result, but for some reason, Stephan Lichtsteiner and Fabian Schar―both one booking shy of a suspension―were handed a start.

The 34-year-old Lichtsteiner played a key role in the buildup to the first goal but also got himself booked in the first half, ensuring he won't play part in the round of 16. Schar stayed on after the break and got himself booked inside the final 10 minutes.

That's a huge problem for Die Nati, who are hugely dependent on Lichtsteiner's runs forward and Schar's aerial ability.

Costa Rica did tons of damage on the counter early, finding all kinds of space in behind the full-backs, and Sweden―who have excelled on the counter―will likely use similar tactics. In the heart of the defence, they'll have to find a new partner for standout Manuel Akanji.

Leaving Schar on in the second half could prove a costly mistake for manager Vladimir Petkovic, who has to replace half of his defence ahead of the match against the Swedes.

Ticos Need More Tactical Versatility in Future

Costa Rica struggled to come up with a Plan B throughout the tournament, something that plagued the side in the friendlies leading up to the World Cup as well.

Oscar Ramirez simply didn't get the job done, and that didn't come as a huge surprise to regular followers of the team, who always pinpointed the manager as a key weakness:

This side will probably look quite different in four years, with many key players on the wrong side of 30. But just as important as finding new young talent will be finding a new manager who can find success when things don't go Los Ticos' way. This side needs to add some versatility in order to take the next step.

Swiss Better Off Facing Sweden Than Mexico

While Die Nati and Mexico were far from their best on Wednesday, everything fell into place for both sides as far as the bracket goes. For El Tri, pundits were quite happy they avoided the disciplined Swiss team, who are somewhat reminiscent of Sweden:

The same holds true for the Swiss, who struggled with Costa Rica's pace and must be happy not to go up against Hirving Lozano and company without Lichtsteiner. Mexico are remarkably strong on the counter, and while Sweden can also do damage, they lack the raw pace El Tri possess.

They won't celebrate second place, but on this occasion, it may work out better than taking the top spot in the group and facing Mexico instead.

What's Next?

Switzerland will face Sweden on Tuesday. Costa Rica's World Cup is over.