Colombia loses in a penalty shootout to a tenacious Switzerland, which will face Argentina in the quarterfinals

Colombia played with heart, but lacked skill. As a result, it wasn’t enough, and they were eliminated in a penalty shootout (4-3) by a combative Switzerland, which will face the only remaining South American team, Argentina, for a spot in the World Cup semifinals.

The Colombians had their chances, but in addition to lacking a cohesive game plan, they lacked finishing power, and ultimately found their undoing in goalkeeper Gregor Kobel during the penalty shootout.

Missed penalty kicks by Davinson Sánchez and Cucho Hernández sealed the fate of a Colombian team that left the Albiceleste as the sole representative of South American soccer in the World Cup quarterfinals.

Goalkeepers Camilo Vargas and Gregor Kobel were key in securing the draw. But the Borussia Dortmund goalkeeper was the hero, saving Cucho Hernández’s shot during the penalty shootout. Sánchez hit the crossbar with his shot, a stroke of very bad luck, as the ball bounced right in the center of the goal line. Earlier, Camilo Vargas nearly saved a penalty kick from Xhaka, but his hand trembled, and the ball found the back of the net. It was a harbinger of Colombia’s last-minute elimination.

A close match

Colombia patiently weathered the Swiss’s initial attacks and then applied high pressure down the right flank: James Rodríguez orchestrated the play, looking for Jhon Arias and Luis Díaz on the other wing.

The left winger from Bayern Munich looked to link up with his teammates and brought the team together in attack.

Without their top scorer, Johan Manzambi, sidelined by injury, Switzerland still had a solid and effective midfield.

They closed out the field, making the midfield dense, and accelerated their transitions.

They dominated possession early on and, using a tiki-taka style, advanced methodically from the back line in search of their number 10, Granit Xhaka.

Colombia settled in and also took control of the ball.

James' battles

His opponents were faster, but he didn’t lose his wits. Criticized for his performance in the Round of 16 match against Ghana, which took a physical toll on him, James Rodríguez won his duels in midfield.

One of his crosses set up Jhon Lucumí and Jefferson Lerma.

After the first 20 minutes, the No. 10 from Cúcuta broke through Switzerland’s first line of pressure with a vertical pass to the left. His play led to a shot by Gustavo Puerta, who forced Swiss goalkeeper Gregor Kobe to make a save.

But Switzerland responded through Fabian Rieder, finding spaces between the lines. A mistake by Daniel Muñoz forced goalkeeper Vargas to make two key saves against Aron Jashari and Dan Ndoye shortly before halftime.

Switzerland threatens

Switzerland came out more aggressively, with shots from Djibril Sow and, once again, Rieder. Colombia responded with shots from Díaz and Luis Suárez.

To secure victory in this physical matchup, Coach Néstor Lorenzo substituted Arias for Jáminton Campaz and James for Juan Quintero, and also moved Ríos to the center and Cucho Hernández to the attack.

Switzerland took advantage of Colombia’s lineup changes to attack with speed. Fabian Rieder caused problems, and his team posed the greatest threat before the match went into extra time.

Giving it their all

The match became a purely physical battle in extra time. The Swiss capitalized on their superior fitness.

But Colombia wouldn’t back down. They nearly scored on a header by John Lucumi that hit the post, and then pressed on with long-range shots from Richard Ríos and Jamintón Campaz.

Camilo Vargas once again denied the Swiss a goal after a shot by the newly substituted Zeki Amdouni.

Without any injuries and even treating each other with respect on the field, the Colombians and the Swiss went to a penalty shootout, where Switzerland matched its best World Cup performance (though the last time it reached the quarterfinals was in 1954, the tournament it hosted) and dashed Colombia’s hopes of at least repeating its 2014 feat.

With information from AFP