By Pearl Josephine Nazare
VANCOUVER, July 7 (Reuters) - Switzerland beat Colombia 4-3 on penalties after a goalless draw stretched through 120 minutes on Tuesday, reaching the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time since 1954 and setting up a meeting with holders Argentina.
The shootout swung in Switzerland's favour when their goalkeeper Gregor Kobel saved Cucho Hernandez's penalty after Davinson Sanchez had earlier hit the crossbar for Colombia.
Although Manuel Akanji also missed for Switzerland,
firing over the bar, Ruben Vargas made no mistake with the decisive kick, stroking the ball into the bottom corner.
It was heartbreak for Colombia, who were bidding to reach the quarters for only the second time in their history, having previously done so at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
The best opportunity of the first half arrived in the 21st minute when Colombia midfielder Gustavo Puerta curled a shot towards the far corner from around 18 yards, forcing Kobel into a superb diving save to his left.
Switzerland responded moments later, but Colombia goalkeeper Camilo Vargas was equal to Fabian Rieder's effort from a tight angle.
Swiss winger Dan Ndoye nearly snatched a winner in the 91st minute, making a clever run before dragging a low shot across goal just wide of the far post.
In extra time, Colombia centre back Jhon Lucumi came within inches of breaking the deadlock, rising unmarked to meet a corner only to see his header crash against the crossbar. The near miss sparked a frenetic spell as both sides pushed forward in search of a winner.
Colombia entered the game in Vancouver, the last to be hosted by Canada at the tournament, boasting one of the tournament's stingiest defences, having conceded just once in their previous matches.
The Swiss were dealt a major setback before kickoff when 20-year-old attacker Johan Manzambi, their breakout star of the tournament with three goals and two assists, was ruled out after suffering a knee contusion in training.
BC Place provided a vibrant backdrop, with Colombia supporters vastly outnumbering their Swiss counterparts.
The sea of yellow shirts transformed the stadium into what felt like a home match for the South Americans, whose fans generated a relentless atmosphere, roaring on every Colombian attack and jeering Swiss players whenever they were on the ball.
The Swiss will face Argentina in the quarters in Kansas City after Lionel Scaloni's side produced a stunning comeback from two goals down to defeat Egypt 3-2 earlier on Tuesday.
(Reporting by Pearl Josephine Nazare and Philip O'Connor; Editing by Toby Davis)
