Switzerland's Composure Wasn't Talent, It Was Discipline Under Missing Pieces

Switzerland beat Colombia 4-3 on penalties in Vancouver on July 7 to reach their first World Cup quarterfinal since they hosted the tournament in 1954, and on the numbers alone, they shouldn't have needed penalties at all. Colombia finished with the better chances across 120 goalless minutes, a superior expected-goals count, and two moments in extra time, a Jhon Lucumí header off the crossbar and a Jáminton Campaz shot fired over an open goal, that should have ended it.

That's the case for calling this a Colombia loss more than a Switzerland win. But it's also the case for what this section is actually interested in, not who was better, who stayed composed when the game gave them every reason not to.

Switzerland took the field without Johan Manzambi, their 20-year-old breakout midfielder who'd scored three goals and added two assists across the tournament's first four matches, ruled out by a training injury suffered the day before. Rubén Vargas, also carrying a knock from that same session, came off the bench in stoppage time anyway. Granit Xhaka, Switzerland's captain, gave the ball away in extra time and nearly handed Colombia the winner himself. None of that is the profile of a team playing with total control. It's the profile of a team that kept making mistakes and refused to let the mistakes decide the outcome.

The shootout bore that out. Davinson Sánchez smashed his effort off the bar for Colombia. Goalkeeper Gregor Kobel saved Cucho Hernández's attempt. And it was Vargas, the substitute who probably shouldn't have been risked at all, who buried the kick that sent Switzerland through. "We had some stretches of the game where we had to defend and stay strong mentally," Kobel said afterward. "We had a few players missing, so it was a big challenge for us."

Colombia's John Arias put it from the other side of the result. "The dream was enormous," he said. "The country showed us that it believed in us, and I think that only makes the pain even greater."

Switzerland now face Argentina in Kansas City on Saturday, a team they'll need every bit of that composure against again.