The Swiss national team became the last participant in the World Cup quarter-finals. In a tense match against Colombia, the winner could not be determined in either regular or extra time, and the Swiss proved stronger in the penalty shootout.
The Round of 16 match, held on Tuesday in Vancouver, ended in a goalless draw. Over 120 minutes of play, both teams defended reliably and hardly allowed the opponent to create dangerous moments.
The most realistic chance to score came for Colombia in extra time. In the 99th minute, after a corner kick, John Lucumi headed the ball against the crossbar. Later, there were several opportunities for Hamilton Campas to score, but Swiss goalkeeper Gregor Kobel kept his goal intact.
The fate of the match was decided in a penalty shootout.
The Swiss converted four out of five penalties, while the Colombians missed twice. Davinson Sanchez hit the crossbar, and a shot from Cuco Hernandez was saved by Kobel. The winning goal was scored by Ruben Vargas, who successfully converted the final penalty and brought victory to his team — 4:3.
This success was historic for the Swiss national team. The team reached the top eight for the first time since 1954, ending a 72-year wait to advance to the World Cup quarter-finals.
Now the Swiss face an even more serious challenge. In the quarter-finals, they will meet the reigning world champion — Argentina, which earlier in a dramatic match managed to come back from 0:2 and defeat Egypt 3:2.
Thus, all quarter-final pairs of the tournament have been determined: Argentina — Switzerland, France — Morocco, England — Norway, and Spain — Belgium.
This World Cup is the first to feature 48 teams. The tournament is hosted by the USA, Canada, and Mexico, with the final taking place on July 19.
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