Switzerland secured its first-ever qualification for the FIFA World Cup quarterfinals since 1954 by defeating Colombia 4-3 in a penalty shootout. This followed a scoreless draw between the two sides after 120 minutes of extra time in Vancouver on Tuesday.
Детали матча и решающий гол
The Swiss team advanced to the last eight, setting up a clash with Argentina. The decisive moment came when Ruben Vargas successfully converted a penalty kick. Prior to this, Gregor Kobel, the Swiss goalkeeper, made a crucial save against Cucho Hernandez's spot kick, even though Davinson Sanchez had previously struck the crossbar.
Ход игры и отсутствие игроков
The contest was intensely fought, with neither team managing to break the deadlock within the initial 120 minutes. During extra time, Colombia generated the most promising chances; Jhon Lucumí headed the ball off the crossbar, and Jaminton Campaz shot over the bar following a defensive error committed by Granit Xhaka.
Switzerland faced challenges due to the absence of several key players, notably midfielder Johan Manzambi, who was sidelined with a knee injury sustained during training. Manzambi had contributed significantly to the Swiss squad's first four games with three goals and two assists. Vargas, who also missed training early on Monday, managed to recover in time to come off the bench and score the winning penalty.
Комментарии и историческое значение
Following the match, Gregor Kobel commended the Swiss team's mental fortitude, noting the difficulty of facing a Colombian side supported by a highly passionate audience. The 28-year-old keeper stated, 'They had the crowd on their side, so it was a tough game for us. We know we had some stretches of the game where we had to defend and stay strong mentally. Obviously we had a few players missing so, yeah, it was a big challenge for us.'
This victory represents a significant historical achievement for Switzerland, marking the first time they have won multiple knockout matches at the same World Cup. Although Switzerland had reached the Round of 16 in the 2014, 2018, and 2022 tournaments without progressing further, they are now set to meet Argentina in Kansas City on Saturday for a spot in the semifinals.
Другие события на турнире
In other concurrent matches, Argentina managed a remarkable comeback against Egypt in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, ultimately winning 3-2. Egypt initially led 2-0 thanks to headers from Yasser Ibrahim and a strike by Mostafa Zico in the 67th minute, while goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir made several vital saves. However, Cristian Romero initiated the Argentine resurgence with a header in the 79th minute, followed by a goal from Lionel Messi four minutes later. Enzo Fernandez sealed the victory in stoppage time during extra time, ensuring Argentina's continued bid to defend the title.
The quarterfinals are scheduled to commence on Thursday with several fixtures, including France versus Morocco in Foxborough, Spain versus Belgium in Inglewood, Norway versus England in Miami Gardens, and the highly anticipated match between Argentina and Switzerland in Kansas City.
