The echoes of disappointment from Kansas City will likely resonate even more profoundly than those from São Paulo. Much like their Round of 16 encounter twelve years prior, Switzerland once again succumbed to Argentina after a fiercely contested battle in the World Cup.
Late goals from Julian Alvarez in the 112th minute and Lautaro Martinez in the 120th+1 minute ultimately crushed the Swiss team’s hopes. They had seemed on the verge of an upset, especially after Dan Ndoye’s equalizer in the 67th minute, which was immediately followed by the improbable expulsion of Embolo. At that moment, it felt like Switzerland was poised to overturn Argentina, but the Albiceleste, ever resilient, continues its quest for a second consecutive title.
Before this cruel conclusion, Switzerland had started the match brightly. However, after just ten minutes, Argentina took the lead. The architect? None other than Lionel Messi, whose perfectly delivered corner found Alexis Mac Allister’s head. Djibril Sow, starting for Murat Yakin, was mere centimeters away from preventing the Argentine midfielder from beating Gregor Kobel in the 10th minute.
Swiss dominance
Still without Johan Manzambi, Yakin’s side initially appeared as toothless as they had been in their Round of 16 clash against Colombia. By halftime, despite a noticeable period of possession, they had registered only one shot on target: a strike from Sow at the edge of the box, easily collected by Emiliano Martinez in the 20th minute. The sole genuine threat to the Albiceleste’s goal in the first half was a push by Lisandro Martinez on Embolo, which went unpunished as a penalty in the 31st minute.
The dynamic shifted dramatically after the break, with Switzerland emerging far more aggressive, truly dominating play, and finally creating dangerous opportunities. Exploiting the spaces left by the Argentinians, they began to test Martinez’s reflexes. First, with two headers from Embolo, both comfortably gathered by the Argentine goalkeeper in the 60th and 65th minutes, followed by a low, long-range shot from Xhaka in the 66th minute.
The breakthrough finally came from Dan Ndoye. Served by Xhaka on the left flank, the Vaudois player executed a perfect one-two with Ricardo Rodriguez before precisely slotting the ball past Martinez with his right foot in the 67th minute. Switzerland had deservedly equalized.
Embolo’s tears
However, just as they gained momentum, a twist of fate dealt a devastating blow. The incident seemed innocuous: at midfield, Embolo went down after a challenge from Leandro Paredes, who was initially cautioned. But the Basel striker’s simulation, initiating his dive before contact, did not escape VAR’s scrutiny. The technology, now able to alert the referee for wrongly issued yellow cards, prompted Mr. Pinheiro to reverse his decision and penalize Embolo for simulation. Crucially, the number 7 had already received a yellow card before halftime, resulting in a red card.
Devastated, Embolo was forced to leave the pitch in tears, consoled by his teammates. The red card was particularly agonizing as Amdouni was in the process of removing his bib, seemingly preparing to replace him. But the substitution couldn’t happen, and Switzerland had to finish the match with ten men.
Remarkably, they managed to hold out for thirty minutes, regrouping into a 5-3-1 formation, to force extra time. Argentina did create two significant chances during this period: a right-footed shot from Messi that grazed Kobel’s post in the 90th+2 minute, and another from Lisandro Martinez, well-saved by the Swiss goalkeeper in the 90th+9 minute.
Alvarez ignites the stadium
Heroic in their defense, Switzerland held on for another twenty-five minutes into extra time before finally cracking under pressure. It took a magnificent goal from Julian Alvarez to finally beat Gregor Kobel, who had postponed the inevitable with several crucial saves. Alvarez blasted the ball into the Swiss top corner, sending tens of thousands of Argentine supporters into a frenzy and shattering Switzerland’s World Cup dream. Lautaro Martinez then added the third goal on a final counter-attack.
Despite the painful exit, the overall assessment for this Swiss team remains positive. They achieved their stated objective: to deliver their best-ever World Cup performance. Reaching the quarterfinals and securing two knockout stage victories was truly unprecedented for them. The next, equally challenging, step will be to maintain their position within the global top-8.
