Davinson Sánchez looked to the heavens. Cucho Hernández trudged back to his teammates. By the end, the pair’s penalty misses sent the Colombian team to the grass in anguish as Switzerland danced in front of their supporters, nearly alone in a sea of yellow.
Switzerland had prevailed on penalties, 4-3, Ruben Vargas’s decider bringing an emotional end to more than two hours of tense, tentative, and ludicrously goal-free football.
Switzerland advance to the quarter-finals for the first time since 1954, when that stage was the first in the knockout round of a home tournament featuring 16 teams. They will face a tall task to better that result, facing Lionel Messi and Argentina in Kansas City on Saturday (2am BST).
“I think I need another couple of hours or days to process what just happened,” the delighted Switzerland manager, Murat Yakin, said. “This is a dream.”
Yakin repeatedly claimed the match had gone exactly to plan. If that is true, that plan must have consisted solely of finer points. This was more chess game than football match, with each team probing and prodding equally for more than 120 minutes, each sorely missing a finishing touch.
Possession remained even. Midfields took turns controlling proceedings, but only for minutes at a time. Sometimes those midfields were cut out entirely as long balls were traded to test capable backlines. The occasion lacked fireworks, but there was plenty of drama at the end.
“We were aware that this was going to be a tactical, tight match,” the Colombia manager, Néstor Lorenzo said. “Of course, we should have scored a goal.”
9 July France v Morocco (Boston, 4pm local/9pm BST/6am 10 July AEST)
10 July Spain v Belgium (Los Angeles, 12pm local/8pm BST/5am 11 July AEST)
11 July Norway v England (Miami, 5pm local time/10pm BST/7am 12 July AEST)
12 July Argentina v Switzerland (Kansas, 8pm local time/2am BST/11am AEST)
Indeed. Colombia had numerous chances and moments that brimmed with danger, but only rarely was that promise fulfilled. When the chances did come, Colombia’s strikers usually wasted them – none more important than Jaminton Campaz firing over the bar from 10 yards out in the 116th minute.
The game could surely have benefited from the presence of the Swiss midfielder Johan Manzambi, their leading scorer who sustained a knee injury in training the previous day. Yakin said the team had made all the tactical preparations with Manzambi in mind and his absence scuppered those plans. He refused to put a timeline on Manzambi’s return, but said: “I want to see our best player on the pitch.”
The distinctive roof of BC Place remained closed on a warm and sunny day in British Columbia, with an air conditioning system that seemed slightly overmatched. A thick humidity permeated the air in the final game at this venue and closing the co‑host nation’s involvement in this tournament.
The conditions did nothing to dampen the boisterous crowd and there was no question about which side they were here to see. The vast majority of the 52,497 sellout wore some version of bright Colombian yellow, singing throughout and jeering whenever their side were out of possession. Barranquilla this was not, but it was about as close as you will get this far north.
It was Colombia’s counterattacking that first paid dividends in the 21st minute. James Rodríguez’s initial touch in midfield was far from his best, setting off a scramble that was seized upon by Jefferson Lerma. The Crystal Palace man prodded the ball forward, eventually finding its way to Gustavo Puerta at the edge of the area. Puerta’s curling effort appeared destined for the top corner, but a flying save from Gregor Kobel denied him.
Switzerland had a golden opportunity of their own nine minutes later. Daniel Muñoz’s attempted clearance from his own penalty area was blocked by Dan Ndoye, Fabian Rieder’s effort required a fine save from Camilo Vargas, who had to make a similar diving stop to his left to deny Ndoye a couple minutes later.
Switzerland brought on Djibril Sow at half-time in place of Ardon Jashari, and the substitute had an immediate impact, firing his effort from an Ndoye cross over the bar a couple minutes in.
Colombia let another huge chance slip in the 63rd minute, as a loose pass out of the back left Granit Xhaka stranded, his pocket picked by Luis Suárez. With an open look on goal, the striker got his shot all wrong and it sailed harmlessly high and wide. The crowd roared, first in frustration, then with encouragement. These were much‑needed signs of life.
Colombia became slightly more dynamic in attack with the removal of Rodríguez for Juan Quintero in the 66th minute. The 34-year-old received a standing ovation upon his exit, surely his final act in a World Cup. Despite a more active frontline and slightly more momentum to close the 90 minutes, Colombia’s struggles continued in front of goal. Through balls were an inch or two off. Legs and torsos strayed offside. Breakaways foiled by a stout defense.
Extra time it was, when Colombia took further control. Los Cafeteros were denied a penalty after three minutes, with Campaz tripped by Miro Muheim after getting a touch in the area. Five minutes later, a moment of agony for Colombia, as Jhon Lucumí’s header from Quintero’s pinpoint corner kick rattled the crossbar. Soon after, an audacious long-range strike from Campaz required a smart save from Kobel.
“He is a powerhouse,” Yakin said of Kobel, who finished with two saves in regulation time and the key one in penalties. “He is arguably one of the best goalkeepers [in the world]. He doesn’t take on too many risks and he really finds himself in the match. We are so happy he was able to help us out.”
Kobel was not needed for Campaz’s stunning miss late in extra time. Nor was he required as Sánchez slammed his penalty attempt off the crossbar in the shootout. However, his save from Hernández’s penalty, low and to his right, secured a historic result for Switzerland that had Yakin grinning ear to ear. “We are going to celebrate with the entire staff and the entire nation,” he said. “This is a very unique opportunity for us.”
Lorenzo, by contrast, was forced to defend a result where Colombia delivered much bluster with no result to show for it. “They’re amazing players, there’s nothing to reproach,” he said. “Sometimes you score, sometimes you don’t.”
