Switzerland defeated Colombia 4-3 on penalties after a goalless 120 minutes in a fiercely contested FIFA World Cup Round of 16 match in Vancouver.
Switzerland’s Ruben Vargas stroked home the decisive penalty sending the Swiss into their first World Cup quarter-final since 1954 and a clash with holders Argentina.
The shootout swung in Switzerland’s favour when their goalkeeper Gregor Kobel saved Cucho Hernandez’s penalty after Davinson Sanchez had earlier hit the crossbar for Colombia.
Although Manuel Akanji also missed for Switzerland, firing over the bar, Vargas made no mistake, stroking the winning penalty into the bottom corner.
“It is very difficult for me to realise what we achieved today,” Vargas said.
“I’m grateful for this moment. It was an amazing match for me. For 120 minutes we gave it all on the pitch. We faced a strong opponent, but now we made history… It was amazing that I could score the decisive penalty.”
Both teams displayed tactical discipline, physical resilience and defensive organisation, refusing to take unnecessary risks with a quarter-final place at stake.
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Colombia started brightly, dominating possession and moving the ball quickly through midfield while looking to exploit Switzerland with swift counter-attacks.
The best opportunity of the first half arrived in the 21st minute when Colombia midfielder Gustavo Puerta curled a shot towards the far corner from around 18 yards, forcing Kobel into a superb diving save to his left.
Switzerland responded moments later, but Colombia goalkeeper Camilo Vargas was equal to Fabian Rieder’s effort from a tight angle.
Swiss winger Dan Ndoye nearly snatched a winner in the 91st minute, making a clever run before dragging a low shot across goal just wide of the far post.
In extra time, Colombia centre back Jhon Lucumi came within inches of breaking the deadlock, rising unmarked to meet a corner only to see his header crash against the crossbar. The near miss sparked a frenetic spell as both sides pushed forward in search of a winner.
Fatigue became evident as both sides battled cramps, while Davinson Sánchez received a yellow card in the 95th minute.
Neither side found a breakthrough as disciplined defending protected both goalkeepers throughout extra time.
The tie was ultimately settled by penalties after the deadlock remained unbroken.
Ruben Vargas converted the decisive penalty after two misses from Colombia to seal Switzerland’s 4-3 shootout victory.
It was heartbreak for Colombia, who were bidding to reach the quarters for only the second time in their history, having previously done so at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
Switzerland’s patience, defensive discipline and composure under pressure earned a deserved place in the World Cup quarter-finals.
The Swiss will face Argentina in the quarters in Kansas City after Lionel Scaloni’s side produced a stunning comeback from two goals down to defeat Egypt 3-2 earlier on Tuesday.
