SWEDEN 1 SWITZERLAND 0 (St. Petersburg)
Sweden are through to the quarterfinals for the first time since 1994 after eliminating Switzerland with a 1-0 victory.
The match began with a fast and frantic energy as both sides pressed but neither nation found the ability to dominate early on, creating a balanced game. Then, towards the later part of the first half, Sweden began to prove themselves by finding threatening opportunities within the opposition box. After halftime, Sweden returned to continue their strong offensive style of play, heavily pressing and overpowering Switzerland. In the 66th minute, their efforts paid off as Emil Forsberg picked up a pass on the edge of the penalty area and fired the ball, deflecting off of Swiss defender, Manuel Akanji, and into the net for an own goal.
Switzerland could not retaliate immediately, waiting until the last 10 minutes of the match to pressure their opponents. Then, in a moment of despair, Michael Lang shoved Martin Olsson as he raced towards the goal, calling for a Sweden Penalty in the 92nd minute. The call was quickly overturned with the help of VAR, calling for a free kick instead, and allowing Sweden to completely dominate the rest of the match. Despite Switzerland’s threatening moments, their attempts were not enough to avoid elimination.
COLOMBIA 1 ENGLAND 1 (3-4 PENALTIES) (Moscow)
England has eliminated Colombia after a 4-3 triumph in penalties, securing a spot in the 2018 FIFA World Cup quarterfinals.
Tensions were high throughout the first and second half leading to a combined total of 31 fouls and nine yellow cards. In the 57th minute, a moment of frustration lead Carlos Sanchez to tackle Harry Kane as a corner was crossed in, awarding England a penalty.
England Captain, Harry Kane, stepped up and sent the ball straight down the middle as David Ospina dove to his right, scoring his sixth World Cup goal and earning the lead. Colombia continued to fight until the very last moment, pressuring England and playing within the opponent’s half. In the 93rd minute, Juan Cuadrado crossed the ball into the box through a corner, finding Yerry Mina, who headed the ball into the net for the equalizer.
The match went to penalties with Colombia taking the lead on the fourth stage after a miss by Jordan Henderson, however, Mateus Uribe hit the post to keep England alive. Kieran Trippier leveled the score as he fired the ball into the net for the fourth penalty. In their last opportunity, Colombia’s Carlos Bacca shot the ball straight towards Pickford, who saved the shot to give his country the chance to win. It was up to Eric Dier to secure the victory now, reaching the penalty spot and heroically finding the back of the net for the win.
