With a composed 2-0 victory over Algeria on Friday AEST, Switzerland secured their place in the World Cup’s last 16.
The Swiss national team is set to face the winner of the upcoming matchup between Colombia and Ghana on Saturday.
The dynamic 20-year-old Johan Manzambi was pivotal in the action in Vancouver, setting up the first goal by darting down the left wing and delivering a precise cross for Breel Embolo, who effortlessly scored.
This marked Manzambi’s second assist of the tournament. Impressively, he has also netted three goals across four World Cup games, even though he only started twice.
Dan Ndoye added the second goal, threading his shot through a crowd of defenders. Algeria’s goalkeeper, Luca Zidane, struggled to provide a sufficient save, rounding off a frustrating evening for the North African side.
Switzerland, who were eliminated in the round of 16 in 2006, 2014, 2018 and 2022, will hope this time to break that cycle of disappointment. The three-times World Cup quarter-finalists have not reached the last eight since 1954.
Algeria join Cote d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Senegal as African teams to be knocked out so far at the last-32 stage. Only Morocco have progressed.
Ronaldo helps Portugal prevail against Croatia
Substitute Gonçalo Ramos’s headed goal edged Portugal into the Round of 16 at the World Cup on Friday after a gripping contest with Croatia.
The match had been something of a dead heat across the first half until Ivan Perišić stunned the Portuguese by slotting the ball under the advancing Portugal keeper Diogo Costa in the 53rd minute.
Within minutes, Ronaldo had the ball in the net after controlling a long pass, but his effort was disallowed for offside.
But Portugal got level when Renato Veiga was grabbed by Croatia’s Nikola Vlašić in the penalty area and after a VAR check, the referee pointed to the spot.
Ronaldo stepped up to convert the penalty with ease, hitting the ball straight down the middle of the goal and pumping his fists with joy afterwards.
In a pulsating game, Manchester City forward Mateo Kovačić’s low shot was pushed onto a post by ‘keeper Costa’s fingertips.
Ronaldo was withdrawn in the 81st minute to allow Rúben Neves to come on.
Then, Ramos connected with a superb pass from Rafael Leão in the fourth minute of stoppage time. The goal would snuff out a Croatia team which had created the lion’s share of the chances in sapping evening heat in Toronto, but the match wasn’t over yet.
Still Croatia pushed, and Peta Sučić had the ball in the net, but the assistant referee’s flag was up for a clear offside.
Croatia continued to create more chances than their opponents and Mario Pašalić came so close to winning the game with a header at the far post, but it bounced just wide.
In a dramatic ending, Croatia thought they had equalised in the dying seconds with the clock ticking well past the 10 added minutes of extra time, but Joško Gvardiol’s goal was chalked off for offside.
The Croatians were left stunned by the decision, while Portugal’s players celebrated.
It was a game that even contained a record. Ronaldo’s penalty was his first ever goal in the knockout phase of the World Cup. His remarkable international career will have another chapter when Portugal face Spain in Dallas on Tuesday.
Spain rain pain on Austria
Spain coasted past Austria and into the World Cup Round of 16 on Friday, thoroughly outclassing their opponents in a 3-0 knockout win with a brace from Mikel Oyarzabal and a Pedro Porro header.
The European champions controlled possession and sliced through the Austrian defence in a typically dominant performance in Los Angeles, as Hollywood stars Penélope Cruz, Javier Bardem and singer Rosalía cheered on.
The win — which could have been by a greater margin, with a disallowed goal and a free kick off the woodwork — sets up a tantalising Round of 16 clash with either Portugal or Croatia.
The Los Angeles Stadium was a sea of red and excitement was sky-high over the first visit by a bona fide World Cup favourite to America’s second city.
Spain ratcheted up the pressure gradually through the first half, creating a string of chances after the first hydration break.
Marc Cucurella thought he had scored from a Lamine Yamal corner, but Pau Cubarsi was judged to have encroached on Austria’s goalkeeper.
Alexander Schlager then made a superb diving save, pushing Oyarzabal’s low shot around the post.
Austria’s defence finally buckled in the 36th minute. Pedri pinged a ball wide left to Cucurella, whose cross to Oyarzabal was calmly side-footed past the keeper.
Spain’s dominance grew further, with Yamal tormenting the Austrians, mainly from the right flank.
An Alex Baena free kick hit the crossbar, and Yamal’s close-range follow-up shot was well saved.
Austria spurned a rare chance at the other end. Romano Schmid played in a late-arriving and unmarked Stefan Posch, but a terrible first touch meant he lost the ball before even attempting a shot.
After the break, Spain continued knocking on the door without quite putting the game to rest.
Austria sent on two giant strikers — Saša Kalajdžić and Marko Arnautović — and immediately went long, with Kalajdžić putting a header over the bar.
But in the 66th minute, Spain struck again. Baena lifted a cross onto the head of Pedro Porro, who nodded in his first goal for Spain.
Some dogged defending kept the scoreline respectable, including a goalline clearance by David Alaba from Yamal, who was substituted off to rest moments later.
Spain sprayed passes around the pitch as the final minutes ticked down, eliciting “Oles” from the crowd, as attention turned to a sterner test on Tuesday in Dallas.
In the 89th minute, a pinpoint Cucurella cross found a completely unmarked Oyarzabal in the penalty area, who slotted the ball home.
— With reporting by Agence France-Presse and Reuters.
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