Tuesday’s 2018 FIFA World Cup action features two games: Sweden vs. Switzerland and Colombia vs. England in the Round of 16. Check below for game reports, highlights and other key facts.
4 p.m. ET, Colombia 1, England 1; England wins penalty-kick shootout 4-3 (Final):
England can keep dreaming about “football coming home.”
After playing Colombia to a 1-1 draw Tuesday in the 2018 FIFA World Cup Round of 16, England won the ensuing penalty-kick shootout 4-3 to advance to the World Cup quarterfinal and eliminate Colombia from the tournament.
The game was physical above all else, as the teams combined for 36 fouls and eight yellow cards over 120 minutes of open play. The constant disruption largely starved viewers of flowing action and clear-cut scoring chances.
However, England captain Harry Kane did manage to increase his World Cup 2018 tally to six goals in the 55th minute by converting a controversially given penalty kick.
Cool as you like!
Harry Kane draws the penalty and buries it to put England up 1-0 on Colombia. pic.twitter.com/aQmOqIyTJU
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) July 3, 2018
England looked like it would succeed in holding off Colombia, judging from efforts like Juan Cuadrado’s in the 81st minute.
Cuadrado gets a BIG chance to equalize but he can't capitalize! pic.twitter.com/ar4Sld8O16
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) July 3, 2018
But Colombia dramatically tied the game four minutes into second-half stoppage time when Yerry Mina rose inside England’s penalty box and headed Cuadrado’s corner kick home.
YERRY MINA COMES UP CLUTCH! The center back equalizes late for Colombia! pic.twitter.com/NEVTTpghqp
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) July 3, 2018
Yerry Mina scores his 3rd goal at the 2018 #WorldCup, equalling the World Cup record for most goals by a defender at a single World Cup set by Germany's Paul Breitner in 1974. #COL
— Gracenote Live (@GracenoteLive) July 3, 2018
Mina’s goal sent the game to extra time, where neither team broke the deadlock. The game then moved to a penalty-kick shootout, a format under which England had lost every time in World Cups and most of the time in European Championships.
Colombia’s first three shooters scored, and the South Americans took the lead when goalkeeper David Ospina saved Jordan Henderson’s shot in the third round of the shootout.
But Colombia relinquished the lead when Mateus Uribe hit the crossbar in the fourth round, end England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford saved Carlos Bacca’s fifth-round attempt. Eric Dier then stepped up and gave England its first shootout win in World Cup history.
Ospina gets a hand to it, but Dier sends England through to the quarterfinals! pic.twitter.com/nWdwfkoGeJ
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) July 3, 2018
England win their second penalty shootout at the #WorldCup and EUROs, after the 1996 EURO quarterfinal against Spain. They had lost their other six, including three at the World Cup. #ENG #COLENG
— Gracenote Live (@GracenoteLive) July 3, 2018
Man of the Match: Kane won the second-half penalty kick when Carlos Sanchez pulled him down inside Colombia’s penalty area. He then converted it to take his place among his country’s pantheon of greats.
The @Budweiser #ManoftheMatch for #COLENG is @England's @HKane! pic.twitter.com/ZSKmE8gG1x
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) July 3, 2018
Harry Kane scores his 6th goal at the 2018 #WorldCup, equalling Gary Lineker (6 in 1986) for most for England at a single World Cup. Lineker's 6 goals in 1986 made him the only English player to win the World Cup Golden Boot. #ENG
— Gracenote Live (@GracenoteLive) July 3, 2018
6 – Harry Kane is the first player to score in six consecutive England appearances since Tommy Lawton in 1939. Reliable. #COLENG #ENG #WorldCup pic.twitter.com/fYbZ622WfD
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) July 3, 2018
Up next: Colombia is going home. England will play Sweden at 10 a.m. ET on Saturday in the quarterfinals.
Noon ET, Sweden 1, Switzerland 0 (Final):
Emil Forsberg picked a perfect time to make his own luck.
The Sweden winger scored the winning goal Tuesday in his team’s 1-0 victory over Switzerland in the 2018 FIFA World Cup Round of 16. Forsberg’s goal, his first of the World Cup, propelled Sweden into the quarterfinals for the first time since 1994 and the second time since 1958 and also eliminates Switzerland.
The game largely was a drab affair, with the teams struggling to break down each others’ defense and create meaningful scoring chances. Switzerland enjoyed more possession, but Sweden was content to absorb pressure and counter-attack.
Sweden crafted the two best opportunities early on, but Switzerland goalkeeper Yann Sommer was on his game in the 28th minute.
Sweden test Yann Sommer for the first time but the Swiss keeper is up for it! pic.twitter.com/0SnPlCvuZK
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) July 3, 2018
Albin Ekdal wasn’t as sharp in the 40th minute.
Ekdal gets a wide open chance at the back post but he skies his attempt! pic.twitter.com/SK1ePpoDeX
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) July 3, 2018
The teams continued to plod along until fortune decided to favor Forsberg in the 67th minute. The talented playmaker ended his personal World Cup drought with this deflected strike off Manuel Akanji’s leg.
Gotta shoot your shot!
Emil Forsberg's strike gets deflected into the back of the net to put Sweden up 1-0 on Switzerland. pic.twitter.com/3BymUALvp8
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) July 3, 2018
14 – Emil Forsberg's opener was his first goal for Sweden at the World Cup, with what was his 14th shot (inc. blocks) of the 2018 tournament. Arrival. #SWESUI #SWE #WorldCup pic.twitter.com/xeiTTiSnZJ
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) July 3, 2018
Switzerland sought the tying goal but ultimately lacked the quality in the final third of the field to beat Sweden’s dogged defense or goalkeeper Robin Olsen.
Switzerland nearly equalize but Olsen makes a big save! pic.twitter.com/rkabaaXgp4
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) July 3, 2018
Only one stat matters for #SWE today!
They will face either #COL or #ENG in the next round…#WorldCup pic.twitter.com/EvSXidAOoi
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) July 3, 2018
Meanwhile, Sweden continues to fly through rarefied air.
2 – Sweden have won back-to-back World Cup matches for the first time since 1958, when they won the quarter-final and semi-final on their way to the final as host nation that year. Rising. #SWESUI #SWE #WorldCup pic.twitter.com/tAWajEqBDE
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) July 3, 2018
Man of the Match: Forsberg’s goal won the game and earned him MOTM honors.
The @Budweiser #ManoftheMatch for #SWESUI is @eforsberg10! pic.twitter.com/3ALeLhh7uX
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) July 3, 2018
Next up: Sweden will play England at 10 a.m. ET on Saturday in the quarterfinals. Switzerland is going home.