Swiss overcome penalty 'curse' to oust Colombia
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- Switzerland beat Colombia in a penalty shootout (after a 0-0 draw through extra time at BC Place in Vancouver) to reach the World Cup quarterfinals for the first time since 1954, with manager Murat Yakin calling it breaking a national "curse."
- Rubén Vargas scored the winning penalty after goalkeeper Gregor Kobel saved Colombia's Cucho Hernández attempt, with both sides missing earlier kicks — Davinson Sánchez for Colombia and Manuel Akanji for Switzerland.
- Manuel Akanji called his miss — when he slipped and put the ball four meters over the bar — "disastrous," saying he changed his kicking approach at the last moment: "The oldest rule says you shouldn't change your mind."
- Switzerland had previously lost their only World Cup penalty shootout (to Ukraine in 2006) and won just one of their past six shootouts across all competitions (against France at Euro 2020).
- Switzerland now faces reigning champions Argentina at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City on Saturday, where captain Granit Xhaka said "the hunger is even greater than before" and called facing Lionel Messi "a great reward."
Why it matters: Switzerland's victory ends a 71-year World Cup quarterfinal drought and books a Saturday showdown with defending champions Argentina and Lionel Messi. It is their first-ever World Cup penalty shootout win after previously losing their only attempt (2006 vs. Ukraine) and winning just one of six shootouts in all competitions. Yakin called the moment "unbelievable emotions," though Akanji conceded the team was "lacking a lot, especially offensively."
