Switzerland Secure Quarterfinal Berth After 72 Years By Beating Colombia In Penalty Shootout

 

 

After an intense action resulting in a goalless draw, Switzerland beat Colombia by 4-3 on penalties. With the triumph, they have made it to the quarterfinal of the FIFA World Cup for the first time since 1954. The Swiss side have appeared on 12 occasions in the tournament and reached the quarterfinal of the tournament on four occasions (1934, 1938, 1954, 2026).

 

Rubén Vargas helped the team win by converting a decisive penalty kick and helped the team make it into the last 8. The team will now lock horns against Argentina in the quarterfinal.

"It is very difficult for me to realize what we achieved today. I don't think I've fully realized it yet. I thank God for this moment. It was an amazing match for me. It simply feels amazing,” Ruben Vargas said immediately following the historic penalty shootout victory over Colombia.

 

Switzerland suffered a massive blow even before the start of the match as Johan Manzambi missed out on the action due to injury. It hampered the team in the first half as Colombia dominated the proceedings but failed to create a clear goal-scoring opportunity. Both teams failed to score any goals, and as a result, the match headed into extra time.

The penalty from Rubén Vargas helped the team win the match. Manuel Akanji was the sole player from Switzerland to miss the penalty. For Colombia, Davinson Sánchez (hit the underside of the crossbar) and Cucho Hernández (saved by Swiss goalkeeper Gregor Kobel) missed the penalties, which culminated in the defeat of the team.

The schedule of the quarterfinals out

With the final match of the Round of 16, the quarter-final fixtures have also been confirmed. The tournament's first quarter-final will be played between France and Morocco on July 10. Following that, Spain and Belgium will face each other on July 11, while two quarter-finals will take place on July 12, featuring Norway versus England and Argentina versus Switzerland.