Embolo sent off as Argentina end Switzerland's World Cup in extra time

Argentina 3–1 Switzerland: the quarterfinal that got away

Dan Ndoye equalised in the 67th minute and for a moment, it was real. Your team had Argentina rattled. Then Breel Embolo was sent off for a second yellow, a dive, in the 72nd minute, and the match tilted for good (1) (3) (4).

Julián Álvarez broke it open in the 112th minute with a strike BBC called "stunning" (7). Lautaro Martínez added a third in stoppage time of extra time to make it 3–1 (1) (9). Switzerland's World Cup ends at the quarterfinals.

Argentina face England in the semi-finals on Wednesday in Atlanta (2) (12).

Embolo's red card changed everything

Breel Embolo was already on a yellow from the 44th minute. His second booking came for simulation in the Argentine box, a decision SVT expert Hanna Marklund called "väldigt onödigt", completely unnecessary (3) (11).

Embolo left the pitch in tears (5) (10). The red came via a new mistaken-identity rule applied for the first time at a World Cup (11). Switzerland played the final 48 minutes plus extra time with ten men.

Kicker called it "Embolo-Tränen und Alvarez-Hammer", Embolo's tears and Alvarez's thunderbolt (10). The German press described it as the worst dive in World Cup history, shredding Swiss hearts (4).

A quarterfinal run that deserves respect

Switzerland reached this stage by beating Colombia on penalties in the last 16. Gregor Kobel saved the decisive spot-kick from Cucho Hernandez after a goalless draw in Vancouver. Murat Yakin's preparation, right down to the players' stance during the shootout, was widely credited. Manuel Akanji missed his third tournament penalty and said afterwards it would be his last, but the team broke its historical penalty curse that night.

Against Argentina, your team held the world champions to 1–1 deep into the second half. The combined xG in the Colombia match was just 0.7, Switzerland's defensive discipline was real. This was a team that pushed a tournament favourite to the brink.

Fan reactions

The Ndoye equaliser thread was pure electricity, Swiss fans everywhere believed. The Embolo red card thread, by contrast, was a mix of anguish and disbelief. One commenter summed up the mood simply: heartbreak in slow motion. See the full thread here.