World Cup Update: Sweden 1-0 Switzerland; England Stops Columbia in Penalty (5-4)

Sweden gets the better of Switzerland with a 1-0 victory

Sweden has booked a place in the quarter-Finals of the 2018 World Cup in Russia after beating Switzerland 1-0 in an encounter that seems to be going the way of the Swiss as they dominated the possession and took control of the attack.

Emil Forsberg goal in the 66th minute for Sweden was what made the difference, though the Swiss demonstrate their will to get pass the Sweden.

the Sweden Defence coordinated itself perfectly to absurb the constant knocks from the Swiss.

Sweden broke through in the 66th minute, when Forsberg cranked a shot from the half moon. It took a little deflection off defender Manuel Akanji, enough to wrong-foot keeper Yann Sommer.

Switzerland with it desperate attacking wound up with 18 shots, but only four were on target. Five missed the net, and a whopping nine were blocked by the Swedish defense.

In the dying minutes, Sweden was awarded a penalty that was overturned on video replay, as it was ruled to be outside the box. Michael Lang did get a red card for the shove. But it mattered little, as time had run out on Switzerland.

The Sweden team have come this far without their main man  Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who has retired from the national team. But while it may lack Ibrahimovic’s nose for goal and outsized personality

Sweden will now be fighting for a place in the semi-final of the competition against England.

Penalty Decides England vs Columbia Encounter As England Wins 5-4.

Dying Minute equalizer by Yerry Mina gave Columbia a  fighting chance against England, which seems to have finalized it tactics to ruin Columbia’s chance to claim a place in the Semi-Finals of the competition.

England Pedigree at failing at penalty kick gave the Colombians the assurance that they would be leaving the arena victorious.

And this England does not lose on penalties. At least it did not on Tuesday night, outlasting a game and rugged Colombia, 4-3, in a shootout after the teams played to a 1-1 tie.

“There’s been a lot about this being a young team,” England’s Harry Kane said. “We’ve grown up a lot out there on that pitch tonight.”

England was better for most of the match, and took the lead on a 57th minute Harry Kane goal. Kane converted his third penalty of the match after he was tackled in the box. But just two minutes from time, as England was dreaming of their first quarterfinals appearance since 2006, Yerry Mina struck. The Barcelona defender scored his third header of the World Cup after a 93rd minute corner kick.

Midfielder Eric Dier delivered the final blow, slamming his attempt into the lower left corner under goalkeeper David Ospina after Colombia failed to convert its last two attempts. England’s goalkeeper, Jordan Pickford, had set the stage by pawing away Carlos Bacca’s fifth attempt for Colombia with a dive to his right.

Kane, Marcus Rashford and Kieran Trippier also converted for England in the shootout, sparing Jordan Henderson from a lifetime of ignominy after his penalty, England’s third, was saved by Ospina.