The echoes of regret from Kansas City will undoubtedly resonate even more profoundly than those from São Paulo. Just as in the World Cup Round of 16 twelve years prior, Switzerland ultimately yielded to Argentina after an extraordinary battle.
Goals from Julian Alvarez in the 112th minute and Lautaro Martinez in the 120th+1 minute delivered the final blow to a Swiss side that truly believed they could prevail, were it not for an improbable turn of events: Embolo’s dismissal, which occurred immediately after Dan Ndoye’s equalizer in the 67th minute. At that moment, it seemed Switzerland was poised to overturn Argentina. However, the Albiceleste, ever resilient, continues their miraculous quest for a second consecutive title.
Long before this cruel conclusion, Switzerland had initiated the encounter with confidence. Yet, after merely ten minutes, Argentina had already seized the lead. The architect? Lionel Messi, whose perfectly struck corner found the head of Alexis Mac Allister. Djibril Sow, starting under Murat Yakin, was mere centimeters away from preventing the Argentinian midfielder from beating Gregor Kobel in the 10th minute.
Switzerland’s Dominance
Still without Johan Manzambi, Yakin’s team initially appeared as defensively focused as they had been in the Round of 16 clash against Colombia. By halftime, they had registered only one shot on target despite a clear period of dominance: a strike from Sow at the edge of the area, easily gathered by Emiliano Martinez in the 20th minute. The sole genuine scare for the Albiceleste in the first half was a push by Lisandro Martinez on Embolo from behind that went unpunished by a penalty in the 31st minute.
Everything shifted following the half-time break, with Switzerland emerging more assertive, truly dominant, and finally creating dangerous opportunities. Capitalizing on the spaces left by the Argentinians, they began to test Martinez’s reflexes. This started with two headers from Embolo, both well-saved by the Argentinian goalkeeper in the 60th and 65th minutes, followed by a powerful low shot from Xhaka in the 66th minute.
Ultimately, it was Dan Ndoye who provided the breakthrough. Receiving the ball from Xhaka on the left, the Vaudois player combined impeccably with Ricardo Rodriguez. A quick one-two later, he precisely struck the ball past Martinez with his right foot in the 67th minute. Switzerland had equalized, and it was a thoroughly deserved goal.
Embolo’s Emotional Exit
However, just as Switzerland gained momentum, a twist of fate dealt a severe blow. The incident seemed innocuous: at midfield, Embolo fell after a challenge from Leandro Paredes, and the Argentinian received a yellow card. But the Basel striker’s simulation, initiating his dive before contact, did not escape VAR’s scrutiny. The video assistant referee, now empowered to call the on-field official when a yellow card has been incorrectly issued, prompted Mr. Pinheiro to reverse his decision and caution Embolo for simulation. Crucially, the number 7 had already received a yellow card before halftime. The consequence: a red card.
Devastated, Embolo was forced to leave the pitch in tears, consoled by his teammates. The red card was particularly cruel as Amdouni was in the process of removing his training bib, presumably to replace Embolo. But the substitution could not be made, leaving Switzerland to finish the match with ten men.
Despite the numerical disadvantage, they heroically managed to hold out for 30 minutes, regrouping in a 5-3-1 formation to force extra time. During this period, Argentina created two significant chances: a right-footed shot from Messi that narrowly missed 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
The heroic Swiss side continued to resist for another 25 minutes in extra time, before finally cracking under pressure. It took a magnificent strike from Julian Alvarez to finally beat Kobel, who had brilliantly delayed the inevitable until that point. Alvarez sent the ball soaring into the top corner of the Swiss net, unleashing a roar from tens of thousands of Argentinian supporters and shattering the dreams of an entire nation. Martinez then sealed the victory with the third goal on a final counter-attack.
Despite the painful exit, the overall assessment for this Swiss team remains incredibly positive. They achieved their stated objective: delivering the best World Cup performance in their history. Reaching the quarter-finals and securing two knockout stage victories was an unprecedented feat. The next, equally challenging, step will be to maintain their position within the global top-8.
