Midway through the match, which went to penalties, Colombia bid farewell to the 2026 World Cup in North America in the round of 16, playing their match on Tuesday 7 July.
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Vancouver Stadium was the scene of a painful penalty shootout elimination with Switzerland, but the tie’s fortunes changed long before the white-knuckle kick, exactly 114 minutes into the second half of extra time.
A performance that can change history
After a 0-0 draw in the main 90 minutes, the physical wear and tear became evident in extra time. It was then that a poor clearance by Swiss captain Granit Xhaka led to a mistake in the Swiss start.
Haminton Campas, who came off the bench, took advantage of the loose ball and outpaced the opponent’s defence. With the advantage in his favor, the Colombian striker collided with goalkeeper Gregor Kobel, who left his penalty area in a desperate attempt to narrow the angle.
With the goal and a place in the quarterfinals at his disposal, Campas decided to take a shot to the goalkeeper’s body. However, the shot was taken too powerfully and the ball went over the crossbar, losing the highlight of the match. The curious thing is that he was determined by his most skillful foot.
The unfortunate goal sparked thousands of reactions on social media, questioning on the one hand the fate of Colombia and on the other the ability and hierarchy of the Colombian player when it comes to deciding the match in this kind of action.
Previous dominance and fatality
Before the unexpected outcome, the team led by Nestor Lorenzo imposed conditions through strong pressure in the first half. Gustavo Puerta had the most obvious option in the 21st minute, being stopped by Kobel, while Camilo Vargas saved Colombia in the 30th minute from Fabian Rieder’s shot.
Already in the second half, Luis Suarez also missed a clear option after being robbed at the European exit. This lack of effectiveness led us to identify the key to the twelve steps.
There, Switzerland won 4-3 after Ruben Vargas scored a late penalty against Camilo Vargas, sealing the Europeans’ qualification to face Argentina in the next round.
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