Switzerland break penalty…

Switzerland head coach Murat Yakin expressed his excitement about overcoming the country’s penalty “curse” after defeating Colombia in a shootout on Tuesday, securing a spot in the quarterfinals of the World Cup.

Substitute Rubén Vargas netted the decisive penalty in Vancouver, British Columbia, following a remarkable save by Switzerland’s goalkeeper Gregor Kobel, who denied Cucho Hernández. Earlier, both Davinson Sánchez from Colombia and Manuel Akanji from Switzerland had missed their penalties.

This marks the first time that Switzerland has triumphed in a penalty shootout at a World Cup, having been eliminated in their only other attempt against Ukraine in 2006.

Prior to this victory, Switzerland had only succeeded in one of their last six penalty shootouts across all competitions (against France at Euro 2020). Their win against Colombia has now advanced them to the World Cup quarterfinals for the first time since 1954.

“You’re just caught up in the moment, absorbing everything,” Yakin shared with Swiss broadcaster SRF following the match. “It was an incredible battle, requiring both cleverness and patience. Finally, we broke the curse during the penalty shootout. I am immensely happy for everyone—players, staff, and fans at home.”

“The emotions are overwhelming. The sentiment during that crucial penalty is fantastic—indescribable. A huge shout-out to Kobel; he’s been outstanding throughout this tournament. While you might not want to hear my game plan, it unfolded exactly as envisioned.”

Reflecting on his penalty miss, Switzerland defender Akanji remarked: “I told Muri that would be my last penalty. It was a disaster. I changed my mind last minute. The oldest rule says you shouldn’t change your mind. I went for it, slipped a bit, and ended up sending the ball soaring four meters over the goal.”

“I’m incredibly proud of how the team responded. We didn’t play exceptionally well—especially in attack, as we were lacking in that area—but we remained solid as a unit.”

Switzerland has now advanced to the quarterfinals in three of their last four major tournaments, only falling short at the 2022 World Cup when they were eliminated in the Round of 16.

This victory puts Yakin’s side in line to face reigning champions Argentina at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, on Saturday, where they will encounter the talented Lionel Messi.

“It’s a significant reward,” stated captain Granit Xhaka. “Achieving our first goal is fantastic, but when you reach the quarterfinals, the desire for more intensifies. Now, we face a big challenge against one of the greatest players.”