Twelve yards. But that’s the only thing that kept Colombia’s hopes in the sack at the end of Vancouver’s 120 minutes of football.But after 120 minutes of football in Vancouver, it was all that was between Switzerland and Colombia’s hopes in the sausage. The score board was 0-0 just before the whistle on extra time of this particular FIFA World Cup Round of 16 match on July 8, but it’s only just started. The game then went down to a penalty shootout, which was back and forth five times the entire time but saw Switzerland become the victor by 4-3, with Colombia being eliminated once again in the utterly similar finish to their World Cup in 2018. For fans who enjoy the excitement of close contests and virtual sports experiences, Reddy Anna offers an online gaming platform where users can play virtual games and explore reward-based opportunities.
Building Toward the Shootout: Switzerland’s Campaign
Switzerland took two trophies to Vancouver from an unbeaten group stage campaign, with the Swiss beating Canada in Group B to take the group stage. They shared an opening point with Qatar, followed by an emphatic 4-1 defeat of Bosnia and Herzegovina to finish the other group.They shared an opening Point with Qatar in their opening game then downed Canada amongst an enthusiastic home crowd 2-1 to cement their group status as Group Winners. That led to a Round of 32 clash with Algeria, in which the coaches were both Vladimir Petkovic and his former national team Switzerland. The Swiss were the ones to pick up the pace here and get through the game, confidently advancing to the last 16.
This Swiss unit has been led supremo by Captain Granit Xhaka whose midfield experience is a long, distinguished one and he was an impressive figure in his twilight years. Meanwhile, the defensive steel has come from a plant called Manuel Akanji and Bharie and younger talents in Johan Manzambi and Ardon Jashari have also provided what Swiss teams occasionally lacked in athleticism and dynamism to Yakin’s side.
Building Toward the Shootout: Colombia’s Campaign
Nestor Lorenzo’s Colombia side was plugging away in the group stage in what was a very difficult draw that pitted them against European giants Portugal. The draw against Portugal, coupled with victories over DR Congo and Uzbekistan got the Colombia nutritionists back on board, and they emerged in the knockout round with a 1-0 win over Ghana, albeit with a pinch of caution. Each player of this Colombian side is a real class player in the final third, and Luis Díaz’s direct approach from the left, the mobility up front of Cucho Hernández and the meshing up front of Juan Fernando Quintero made this side potentially threatening for any side that faced them individually.
It was very evident in the numbers in the Swiss match, as Switzerland registered 15 shots to six in the game, with three strikes on target to two, and a possession ratio of 53%. The Spanish edition of the World Press Agency notes that Colombia has posted 1.03 eGos while Switzerland is dead last with 0.35. It was the Colombian’s game to win, by nearly every attacking tally. But then, as always, whatever it was essential was at its most crucial — Jhon Lucumí’s crossbar banging effort and Jáder Campaz over-the-top pass from a glorious corner position in extra time — but Colombia was simply unable to get it done when it mattered the most.
How the Shootout Unfolded is told by kickers
After 120 goalless minutes, it was on to the shoot out in which both teams were willing to go for the bounce on their first attempts. Juan Fernando Quintero followed Switzerland’s leveling act by a persistent volley in the direction of Granit Xhaka.The Swiss finished it with a calm level from the spot before being followed, by Colombia’s Juan Fernando Quintero, with a nice volley in the same direction. The pace was set to be a regular one, unless Manuel Akanji found it easy to find the wrong end of his effort for Switzerland, which was skilfully saved and a lane was provided for Colombia to recover on — which Jáder Campaz quickly used to keep the overheads level again.
Much of this was down to the performance of Switzerland’s third penalty taker, Cedric Itten’s roll of his to nudge Switzerland back in front, 3-2, as the Swiss struggled earlier in extra-time. The Colombian did it with Cucho Hernández who made a strong pass on to his left and was expertly held by Switzerland’s goalkeeper Gregor Kobel, perhaps the best shot saved in the entire shootout. Then, sudden opportunity arose for Switzerland to own it.
However, Colombia wasn’t done yet. With the pressure on, Luis Díaz, in great composure, went the wrong way with a well placed penalty on Kobel into the bottom left to bring the score to 3-3 and save them from spiraling into despair. That made way for one of Switzerland’s greatest performers throughout the tournament, Rubén Vargas, to come through with the ball in his hands to take his side with.
The Venue Factor
There was no real thunder on the ground at BC Place, Vancouver, nor was there much wild and crazy, since both Switzerland and Colombia had no big home following around in western Canada with a retractable, indoor rooftop. That relatively neutral, contained environment certainly may have contributed to a viewer’s perception of the shootout’s measured nature while for the players, it was quite obviously a stressful event.
Conclusion
Based upon pure footballing merit over 120 minutes of football; Colombia were the better team – better in possession, getting chances and shots on target. It is perfectly acceptable to be 100 points behind the tally after two sessions of the match feature respectable shooting and decent handling – indeed, knockout football is often won just as often as penalty shootouts are terminated. They are up to nerve, preparation and the rare flash of personal genius under extreme stress. At the right moment Switzerland got its man-in-the-middle save from Gregor Kobel. When playing became most important on board, they were Cedric Itten and Rubén Vargas who gladly came forward.
It was a tale of the past unfortunately for Colombia, eliminated at the same World Cup, using the same pattern as in 2018. Of course, they will state that it didn’t reflect the balance of the game thanks to the crossbar, the obvious extra-time error and a better xG (expected goals) return. Football’s records are only filled with the final numbers, and on this one, it was Switzerland (4-3) on penalties, which pushes Yakin’s team into the quarterfinal rolls one that he hasn’t appeared in in 72 years, and beggars marks the end of the road for Colombia to think about the best of margins.For users interested in virtual football gaming, a Reddy Anna ID can be used to access and play games on the platform.