Newsletters
Switzerland moved into the World Cup quarterfinals on Tuesday after beating Colombia 4-3 in a penalty shootout following a 0-0 draw in Vancouver.
The Swiss side held out through 120 minutes in the final Round-of-16 match before goalkeeper Gregor Kobel made the decisive save from Cucho Hernandez.
Ruben Vargas then stepped up and converted the winning kick, sending Switzerland through to face defending champion Argentina on Saturday.
Colombia created one of the clearest chances before halftime when Gustavo Puerta curled a shot toward the top corner, but Kobel got across his goal and pushed it away.
Switzerland also looked for a way through, with Fabian Rieder and Dan Ndoye testing Colombia goalkeeper Camilo Vargas. Vargas stayed alert, however, and kept the match level as both teams went into halftime without a breakthrough.
The second half remained cautious, as both sides stayed organized and avoided leaving space for counterattacks. Colombia carried more danger through Luis Diaz and later tried to lift the tempo, while Switzerland leaned on its compact defensive shape and set-piece threat to stay in the game.
As the match wore on, neither team could turn pressure into a goal, pushing the contest into extra time.
Colombia appealed for a penalty in extra time after Miro Muheim challenged Jaminton Campaz, but the referee and Video Assistant Referee, or VAR, allowed play to continue.
Colombia then came close again when Jhon Lucumi headed against the crossbar, while Kobel had to react once more to keep out a long-range effort from Campaz.
With the score still 0-0 after extra time, the match went to penalties. Both sides missed during the shootout, but Kobel’s stop against Hernandez proved decisive before Vargas sealed Switzerland’s place in the last eight.
Set as preferred source
Set as preferred source
2 min read
