​Julian Alvarez afterward spoke about the required resilience, saying, “you have to know how to suffer,” as Argentina advanced through yet another grueling World Cup challenge to defeat 10-man Switzerland 3-1 in the quarter-finals after extra time on Saturday. The Atletico Madrid forward delivered the decisive second goal for his side in the 112th minute in Kansas City, finally breaking the Swiss resistance after Breel Embolo had been dismissed in the second half for a second yellow card, ruling him out of the match.
Alvarez capped the moment with a curling shot into the top corner that sealed the result, while Lautaro Martinez added a late third in stoppage time. The victory came on the back of a demanding run—Argentina had earlier survived a 3-2 extra-time battle against Cape Verde in the last 32 and had just edged Egypt with another 3-2 win thanks to a dramatic late comeback.
“Obviously you have to suffer—you have to know how to suffer,” Alvarez reflected after scoring his first tournament goal to claim the man-of-the-match award. “That’s how these matches are playing out. The opponents we’ve faced have also played well. There are things we can improve on our end, but in a World Cup, things unfold the way they unfold, and the teams are very strong.”
At 26, Alvarez said he felt pride in seeing the three-time champions reach the semi-finals as they bid to defend their title. Lionel Scaloni’s Argentina now head to a decisive stage, preparing to meet England in Atlanta on Wednesday, with the winner set to face either France or Spain in the final. “We know England has impressive players, they’re a great national team and they’re doing very well,” Alvarez said. “But for us, it’s time to recover.