By Oluwatobiloba Zeal-Adepetu Kumoye
Argentina's Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez struck deep into extra time to secure a dramatic 3-1 victory over 10-man Switzerland in Saturday's World Cup quarter-final, setting up a blockbuster semi-final clash with England in Atlanta on Wednesday.
Lionel Messi's side kept alive their quest to become the first nation to successfully defend the FIFA World Cup since Brazil in 1962.
The hard-fought victory sparked wild celebrations among the sea of sky-blue-and-white supporters and brought Switzerland's fairy-tale campaign to an end.
The Swiss had reached the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time since 1954 but fell one game short of a historic first-ever semi-final appearance.
Their hopes suffered a significant setback when Breel Embolo was sent off for simulation in the 72nd minute after receiving a second yellow card.
Kansas City hosted its final match of the tournament, and the pulsating encounter appeared destined for a penalty shootout before Alvarez produced a moment of brilliance in the 112th minute, curling a stunning long-range effort into the top corner beyond the despairing dive of Gregor Kobel.
Lautaro Martinez sealed the victory nine minutes later, calmly converting the rebound after Thiago Almada's effort had been parried.
"We're used to suffering," Almada said. "We come from being champions, and now being among the top four is not easy at all. We want to chase glory and put Argentina at the very top."
Argentina had made the perfect start when Alexis Mac Allister met Messi's corner with a deft near-post header in the 10th minute, guiding the ball beyond Kobel into the far corner. It was the first time Switzerland had fallen behind in the tournament.
Missing injured leading scorer Johan Manzambi, who contributed three goals and two assists during the competition, Switzerland nevertheless refused to surrender.
After a relatively quiet first half, the match burst into life as the Swiss repeatedly tested Emiliano Martinez, forcing the Argentina goalkeeper into a series of excellent saves while raising the volume among both sets of supporters.
The equaliser arrived in the 67th minute when Dan Ndoye combined neatly with Ricardo Rodriguez down the left before sliding a composed right-footed finish through Martinez's legs.
Ndoye celebrated passionately in front of the television cameras as the Swiss fans erupted.
However, Switzerland's momentum was halted just minutes later when Embolo was dismissed after a lengthy VAR review.
The referee initially booked Argentina's Leandro Paredes but overturned the decision after identifying Embolo as the player guilty of simulation, issuing the Swiss forward his second yellow card.
The decision infuriated Switzerland coach Murat Yakin.
"I know that FIFA will protect their referee, but this rule destroyed our game today, and it is incredibly painful," Yakin said. "To be eliminated in that way hurts a lot. Unfortunately, we have to accept it."
Embolo left the pitch in tears and was comforted by his teammates after the final whistle.
"This team has so much passion. Despite the fact we were one man down, we gave it everything. I'm extremely proud of everyone," Yakin added.
Argentina will now turn their attention to a mouth-watering semi-final showdown against England as they continue their pursuit of back-to-back World Cup titles.
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