The sting of defeat in Kansas City will likely surpass the regrets felt in São Paulo twelve years prior. Just as in the 2014 World Cup Round of 16, Switzerland once again succumbed to Argentina after a fiercely contested battle.
Late goals from Julian Alvarez (112th minute) and Lautaro Martinez (120th+1) sealed the Swiss fate. The team had seemed on the cusp of a major upset, especially after Dan Ndoye’s equalizer in the 67th minute, just before the improbable expulsion of Embolo. At that moment, it felt like Switzerland was poised to overturn Argentina. However, the Albiceleste, often finding a way to prevail, continues its quest for a second consecutive World Cup title.
Long before this cruel conclusion, Switzerland had initiated the match with promise. Yet, after only ten minutes, Argentina had already taken the lead. The architect? 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 (10th minute).
Switzerland asserted dominance
Still without Johan Manzambi, Yakin’s side initially appeared as toothless as they had in their Round of 16 clash against Colombia. By halftime, despite clear periods of dominance, they registered only one shot on target: a strike from Sow at the edge of the box that Emiliano Martinez comfortably gathered (20th minute). The sole real scare for the Albiceleste came from a push by Lisandro Martinez on Embolo’s back that went unpunished by a penalty call (31st minute).
The dynamic shifted dramatically after the break. Switzerland emerged more assertive, overtly dominant, and finally dangerous. Exploiting the spaces left by the Argentinians, they began testing Martinez’s reflexes. This included two headers from Embolo, both well-saved by the Argentine goalkeeper (60th/65th minute), followed by a low, long-range shot from Xhaka (66th minute).
The breakthrough ultimately came from Dan Ndoye. Fed by Xhaka on the left, the Vaudois player executed a perfect one-two with Ricardo Rodriguez, then expertly slotted the ball past Martinez with his right foot (67th minute). Switzerland had deservedly equalized.
Embolo’s emotional exit
But just as momentum swung in their favor, a cruel twist of fate struck, clipping their wings. The incident seemed innocuous: at midfield, Embolo fell after contact from Leandro Paredes, who was initially cautioned. However, the Basel striker’s simulation, initiating his dive before contact, did not escape VAR’s scrutiny. With VAR now able to alert the referee to wrongly issued yellow cards, Mr. Pinheiro revisited his decision, penalizing Embolo for diving. Crucially, the number 7 had already received a yellow card before halftime. The result: a red card.
Devastated, Embolo was forced to leave the pitch in tears, consoled by his teammates. The red card was particularly impactful as Amdouni was preparing to enter the game, likely to replace him. But the substitution couldn’t happen, leaving Switzerland to finish with ten men.
Remarkably, they managed to hold out for another 30 minutes, regrouping into a 5-3-1 formation to force extra time. Argentina had two significant chances during this period: a right-footed shot from Messi that grazed Kobel’s post (90th+2 minute) and another strike from Lisandro Martinez, well-saved by the Swiss keeper (90th+9 minute).
Alvarez ignites the stadium
Heroic to the end, Switzerland held firm for another 25 minutes in extra time before finally cracking. It took a magnificent goal from Julian Alvarez to beat a resilient Kobel, who had postponed the inevitable until then. Alvarez unleashed a shot into the Swiss top corner, sending tens of thousands of Argentine supporters into a frenzy and shattering Switzerland’s World Cup dream. Martinez then added a third goal on a final counter-attack.
Despite the defeat, the overall assessment for this Swiss team remains positive. They achieved their stated objective: to deliver their best World Cup performance in history. Reaching the quarter-finals and winning two knockout matches was indeed an unprecedented accomplishment. The next, equally challenging step will be to maintain their position within the global top-eight.
