Switzerland’s Gregor Kobel’s penalty save from Colombia’s Cucho Hernandez helped Switzerland set up a quarter-final clash with Argentina, Yankee Scores reports.
Earlier, the centre-backs on both sides had missed the keeper deflecting Hernandez’s spot kick.
Colombia’s Davinson Sanchez struck the underside of the bar but former Manchester City defender Manuel Akanji blasted his spot kick into the stands to restore parity.
But Kobel was excellent to save from Hernandez before Cedric Itten and Ruben Vargas netted to add to earlier successful penalties from Granit Xhaka and Zeki Amdouni as Switzerland won the shootout 4-3 in the last-16 tie at BC Place Vancouver.
It is the first time Murat Yakin’s side have reached the quarter-finals of the World Cup since 1954 and they will play holders Argentina at Kansas City Stadium on Sunday, July 12, at 02:00 BST, per BBC.
It was a rather uneventful 90 minutes with both sides failing to create many great chances but then came the extra-time and the penalty shootout.
Colombia went close through Jhon Lucumi, whose header from a corner cannoned off the crossbar, and substitute Jaminton Campaz produced an unorthodox save from the Swiss keeper with a long-range effort as the game threatened to burst into life in the first half of extra-time.
But Colombia should have won it late in extra-time when Campaz curled a shot over after a defensive error from Xhaka.
It was a miss they would live to regret as the South Americans suffered shootout heartbreak again after losing to England on spot kicks at this stage in 2018.
