Argentina 0-0 Switzerland (AET 1-0): Argentina nervously secures qualification.
Argentina had to wait until the 118th minute to find the back of the net. But in the short time remaining, fans of the Tango dance still had to endure moments full of suspense…
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| Di Maria and Messi share the joy after scoring the precious goal. |
SCORING
Female:Di Maria (118')
Before the two teams took to the field, all six matches in the Round of 16 of the 2014 World Cup had ended with the top team in their group winning. This put some pressure on the Argentine team, causing the Albiceleste to start the match against Switzerland somewhat hastily.
Coach Alejandro Sabella fielded three forwards from the start, with Lionel Messi and Ezequiel Lavezzi supporting Gonzalo Higuain. Undeniably, this emphasis on attacking down the flanks gave Argentina's attacking ideas a relatively coherent flow, but they lacked a bit of precision in the final touches.
In fact, Switzerland had more chances in the first half. The first real chance of the match came in the 28th minute, following a combination with Xherdan Shaqiri. Granit Xhaka unleashed a powerful shot from a favorable position, but unfortunately, the ball went straight to goalkeeper Romero. Eleven minutes later, striker Josip Drmic broke through to face the Argentinian goalkeeper, but his finish was far too careless. Daily Mail reporter Dan Ripley revealed he… banged his head on the table in frustration over Switzerland's missed opportunity.
The 0-0 scoreline spurred Argentina to launch numerous attacks right after the opening whistle of the second half. Continuous attacks from both flanks put intense pressure on the Swiss defense. In the 62nd minute, Higuain produced a superb header, but goalkeeper Benaglio made an excellent save for Switzerland.
The following minutes saw Messi explode. In the 68th minute, Messi unleashed a long-range shot that went just wide, his first significant shot of the match. In the 75th minute, Messi delivered a very accurate cross, but substitute striker Palacio headed it wide. Just three minutes later, Messi again made a superb run into the penalty area, but the Barca star's powerful shot was once again brilliantly denied by goalkeeper Benaglio.
In injury time of the second half, Argentinian fans had a scare when Fabian Schaer broke through from a free kick, but the Swiss defender's header went over the crossbar. The 0-0 score forced the two teams into extra time.
In extra time, goalkeeper Benaglio continued to play brilliantly, making several saves, including a header from Palacio as well as a stunning long-range shot from Di Maria. The decisive goal came in the 118th minute, when Messi dribbled straight into the center before setting up Di Maria, who finished skillfully into the far corner of the Swiss net from a comfortable position.
That goal didn't kill Switzerland's spirit. In the first minute of extra time, Dzemaili's header hit the post, sending the Argentinians trembling as they secured their place in the next round!
STARTING LINEUP
Female:Romero; Zabaleta, Fernandez, Garay, Rojo (Basanta 105'), Gago (Biglia 106'), Mascherano, Di Maria, Lavezzi (Palacio 74'), Messi, Higuain.
Switzerland:Benaglio; Lichtsteiner, Djourou, Schar, Rodriguez, Behrami, Inler, Shaqiri, Xhaka (Fernandes 66'), Mehmedi (Dzemaili 113'), Drmic (Seferovic 82').
