​Ruben Vargas delivered the decisive goal in the fifth round of the penalty shootout, sending Switzerland into the World Cup quarterfinals after a 0-0 draw with Colombia on Tuesday in Vancouver. In a tense shootout, Swiss goalkeeper Gregor Kobel came up with a crucial diving save on Colombia’s Cucho Hernandez during the fourth round of penalties. Also scoring for Switzerland were Granit Xhaka, Zeki Amdouni, and Cedric Itten, as the Swiss prevailed 4-3 and advanced to their first World Cup quarterfinal since 1954.
In other tournament news, Lionel Messi led Argentina to a 3-2 comeback victory over Egypt, earning a spot in the World Cup quarterfinals. As the final team in the eight-strong quarterfinal lineup, Switzerland prepared to face Argentina on Saturday in Kansas City, Missouri. Argentina staged the late rally by scoring all three goals after the 78th minute to overcome Egypt.
Kobel finished with three saves in regulation and extra time, and he withstood a sustained Colombian attack during the 30-minute extra period. Colombia held an 8-1 edge in shots during extra time. The moment nearly swung in Colombia’s favor in the 99th minute when Jhon Lucumi’s header off a Juan Quintero corner struck the crossbar. In the 101st minute, Jaminton Campaz fired from distance, but Kobel kept the game level with a save. Colombia again threatened in the 115th minute when Campaz’s left-footed effort went over the target.
Defensively, the match unfolded largely as expected. Colombia came in allowing just one goal in their prior matches, a figure better than all World Cup teams except Spain, who had yet to concede. Switzerland, by contrast, had conceded three goals through their first four games. Through the opening 90 minutes, both teams registered two shots on goal, with Colombia holding a slight edge in total shots, 7 to 6 for Switzerland. Switzerland had an unusual late chance just after the 90-minute mark as Dan Ndoye’s shot slid untouched across the six-yard box.
Colombia had strong opportunities to seize control early, as Gustavo Puerta’s shot toward the top right corner in the 21st minute was denied by Kobel’s diving save. Switzerland created a scoring chance in the 30th minute when Fabien Rieder’s attempt was stopped by Camilo Vargas. The shootout ultimately decided the tie, propelling Switzerland into a scheduled bout with Argentina and the defending champions’ hopes in the event that they can continue their European-run in the knockout rounds.
Other headlines from the day included FIFA lifting a red card suspension for U.S. forward Balogun, the Swiss booking of a date with Messi and Argentina after defeating Colombia in penalties, Serena Williams withdrawing from doubles due to injury, and Spain overpowering Portugal to reach the knockout rounds with a late-game goal that ended Ronaldo’s World Cup hopes. The day’s results also featured powerhouses Spain and Austria in a 3-0 match, securing a round-of-16 berth for Spain as they dominated.