Nestor Lorenzo's team was not just competitive. It was the one that tried to play football more, that took initiatives and that showed a greater desire to achieve victory. From the first minutes, it pressed in an organized manner, kept possession of the ball and tried to break down the disciplined Swiss defense.

The first big moment came in the 21st minute, when Gustavo Puerta fired a powerful shot from outside the area, but Borussia Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel made a spectacular save, keeping his goal intact. It was one of many times the Swiss goalkeeper proved decisive.

Switzerland tried to respond immediately, but Camilo Vargas was equally steadfast, repelling a dangerous effort from Fabian Rieder. The game gained a fast pace, but without the goal that would have given it another dimension.

As time passed, the suspense grew. Colombia continued to look more determined to take risks, while Switzerland mainly invested in their defensive cohesion and quick transitions.

Manzabi injured

The Swiss had suffered a serious blow just before kick-off, as the young revelation of the tournament, Johan Manzambi, injured his knee and was out of the squad, depriving their team of its most important attacking weapon.

The biggest chance of normal time was wasted in injury time. Dan Doye found himself in a great position, but his low shot went just wide of the post, prolonging the suspense.

Extra time turned into a real test of endurance. Colombia continued to search for the goal that would give them qualification, coming within a breath of it when John Lucumi headed home from a corner. But the ball hit the crossbar, in a moment that seemed to symbolize the entire evening for the South Americans. Shortly afterwards, another huge opportunity was missed in a four-on-four that was not taken advantage of, causing despair on the Colombian bench.

When the match went to penalties, anything could happen. Colombia started with confidence, but luck turned its back on them. Davinson Sanchez hit the crossbar, while a little later Gregor Kobel blocked Cucho Hernandez's shot, giving Switzerland a huge psychological advantage.

Although stopper Manuel Akanji also missed for the Swiss, the last word belonged to Ruben Vargas. The Swiss winger, who until a few hours before the match was considered unfit even for the starting lineup, came on as a substitute and took on the biggest responsibility of the night. With absolute composure, he sent the ball low into the corner and with it the whole of Switzerland into the quarter-finals.

“I still have a hard time understanding what we achieved. We gave everything for 120 minutes against an excellent opponent. It’s a moment I will remember forever,” said an emotional Vargas after the end.

For Colombia, however, there was only silence. A team that had presented one of the most solid defenses of the competition, having conceded only one goal until the round of 16, came so close to a historic qualification, but failed to take the final step. The South Americans had only previously reached the quarter-finals in 2014 in Brazil and believed that the time had come to repeat that feat.

Football, however, rarely dispenses justice. Sometimes it rewards those who endure the most, not necessarily those who create the most. Switzerland endured, suffered, defended with self-sacrifice and in the end smiled. Colombia, on the other hand, left Vancouver with the heaviest burden a team can carry: the feeling that qualification was lost not because they.