{"id":17322,"date":"2026-07-13T02:16:11","date_gmt":"2026-07-12T20:46:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/?p=17322"},"modified":"2026-07-13T02:16:11","modified_gmt":"2026-07-12T20:46:11","slug":"argentina-vs-switzerland-ten-men-and-one-moment-of-genius","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/argentina-vs-switzerland-ten-men-and-one-moment-of-genius\/","title":{"rendered":"Argentina vs Switzerland: Ten Men, and One Moment of Genius"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Argentina won. Switzerland held them at level for forty minutes with ten men. And then, in the 112th minute, a single moment of individual brilliance ended the contest \u2014 a goal no tactical system could have stopped, no defensive structure could have planned for. That, ultimately, is the story of this quarter-final. Two well-organised teams, one catastrophic red card, forty minutes of extraordinary Swiss resilience, and one Juli\u00e1n \u00c1lvarez thunderbolt that reminded the world why Argentina can beat anyone at this FIFA World Cup 2026\u2122.<\/p><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_73 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-black ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Page Contents:<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #282fff;color:#282fff\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #282fff;color:#282fff\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/argentina-vs-switzerland-ten-men-and-one-moment-of-genius\/#The_Formations\" title=\"The Formations\">The Formations<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/argentina-vs-switzerland-ten-men-and-one-moment-of-genius\/#First_Half_%E2%80%94_One_Shot_One_Goal_Argentinas_Efficiency\" title=\"First Half \u2014 One Shot, One Goal: Argentina&#8217;s Efficiency\">First Half \u2014 One Shot, One Goal: Argentina&#8217;s Efficiency<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/argentina-vs-switzerland-ten-men-and-one-moment-of-genius\/#Switzerlands_Equaliser_%E2%80%94_The_Double_Pivot_and_the_Perfect_Counter\" title=\"Switzerland&#8217;s Equaliser \u2014 The Double Pivot and the Perfect Counter\">Switzerland&#8217;s Equaliser \u2014 The Double Pivot and the Perfect Counter<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/argentina-vs-switzerland-ten-men-and-one-moment-of-genius\/#Embolos_Red_Card_%E2%80%94_and_Switzerlands_Extraordinary_Response\" title=\"Embolo&#8217;s Red Card \u2014 and Switzerland&#8217;s Extraordinary Response\">Embolo&#8217;s Red Card \u2014 and Switzerland&#8217;s Extraordinary Response<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/argentina-vs-switzerland-ten-men-and-one-moment-of-genius\/#The_Moment_That_Cannot_Be_Defended\" title=\"The Moment That Cannot Be Defended\">The Moment That Cannot Be Defended<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/argentina-vs-switzerland-ten-men-and-one-moment-of-genius\/#Implications_%E2%80%94_What_Argentina_Must_Solve_Before_England\" title=\"Implications \u2014 What Argentina Must Solve Before England\">Implications \u2014 What Argentina Must Solve Before England<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n<p><strong>Watch <a href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/sports\/football\/fifa-world-cup\/2026\/match-clips\/0-6-4z5974253\/arg-vs-sui-quickfire-highlights-fifa-world-cup-2026\/0-1-6z51003124?utm_source=GoogleOneBox&amp;utm_medium=GoogleSearch&amp;utm_campaign=OneBox_quick_fire_highlight\">Argentina vs Switzerland Match Highlight<\/a> Free Only On ZEE5.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><i>Watch Argentina in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/sports\/football\/fifa-world-cup\/2026\">FIFA World Cup 2026\u2122<\/a> semi-final live on ZEE 5 \u2014 the only place to stream every match in India.<\/i><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Formations\"><\/span><b>The Formations<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/sports\/football\/fifa-world-cup\/2026\/0-6-4z5974253\/0-2-5z5974716\/teams\/argentina\/argentina-squad\">Argentina<\/a> set up in a 4-1-3-2, with Leandro Paredes as the single pivot shielding the back four of Tagliafico, Lisandro Mart\u00ednez, Romero, and Molina. Ahead of him, the three midfielders \u2014 De Paul, Enzo Fern\u00e1ndez, and Mac Allister \u2014 operated as dynamic carriers and pressers, supporting Messi and \u00c1lvarez as the two forwards.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/sports\/football\/fifa-world-cup\/2026\/0-6-4z5974253\/0-2-5z5974716\/teams\/switzerland\/switzerland-squad\">Switzerland<\/a> countered with a 4-2-3-1. Xhaka and Freuler formed a double pivot \u2014 disciplined, positionally tight, designed to block Argentina&#8217;s vertical channels through the middle. Ndoye on the left, Sow on the right, and Rieder at the CAM position behind Embolo. Switzerland&#8217;s plan was clear from the first whistle: compress the space, deny Messi time on the ball, and be ruthless on the counter.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"First_Half_%E2%80%94_One_Shot_One_Goal_Argentinas_Efficiency\"><\/span><b>First Half \u2014 One Shot, One Goal: Argentina&#8217;s Efficiency<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The first half was more evenly contested than the scoreline suggested. Switzerland actually edged possession as the half wore on. The two sides were evenly matched \u2014 except for one moment. At the end of 45 minutes, Argentina had exactly one shot on target. That shot was a goal: Mac Allister&#8217;s corner-kick header from a Messi delivery in the 10th minute. Switzerland, for their part, had their own attempt \u2014 Zakaria&#8217;s right-footed effort in the 4th minute that Argentina&#8217;s defence blocked. One shot each. One goal between them. In that sense, the match was level in almost every way \u2014 except on the scoreboard. Argentina&#8217;s clinical efficiency from set pieces masked how closely Switzerland had matched them throughout the half.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Switzerlands_Equaliser_%E2%80%94_The_Double_Pivot_and_the_Perfect_Counter\"><\/span><b>Switzerland&#8217;s Equaliser \u2014 The Double Pivot and the Perfect Counter<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Argentina&#8217;s lead did not survive the second half. Switzerland&#8217;s double pivot, which had spent 45 minutes absorbing pressure, suddenly released it. Ricardo Rodr\u00edguez found the pocket behind Argentina&#8217;s defensive line and slipped Ndoye through \u2014 a move built entirely on the geometric precision that Xhaka and Freuler had engineered all evening. Ndoye finished cleanly. The 4-2-3-1 had worked exactly as intended: absorb, compact, then strike on the counter at pace. Switzerland had equalised without ever looking like the inferior side.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Embolos_Red_Card_%E2%80%94_and_Switzerlands_Extraordinary_Response\"><\/span><b>Embolo&#8217;s Red Card \u2014 and Switzerland&#8217;s Extraordinary Response<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Then came the disaster. Embolo, already on a yellow card, was dismissed following a VAR review in the 72nd minute. Ten men. Their most physical attacking presence gone. Switzerland had equalised and found momentum \u2014 and in five minutes, lost it structurally. Most teams collapse in this situation. Switzerland did not.<\/p>\n<p>Instead, they reorganised. The attacking outlet reduced. The defensive shape tightened. They made a decision \u2014 drag this to penalties, deny Argentina a second goal, trust the structure. And for more than forty minutes of football, including the first period of extra time, they executed it. Argentina pushed. They tried everything. They had nothing to show for it. Switzerland \u2014 a man down, exhausted, without Embolo and missing Manzambi \u2014 held firm.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Moment_That_Cannot_Be_Defended\"><\/span><b>The Moment That Cannot Be Defended<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>There are passages of football that tactics can control. And then there are moments that cannot be accounted for. In the 112th minute, Jos\u00e9 Manuel L\u00f3pez \u2014 on as a substitute \u2014 played a precise pass to Juli\u00e1n \u00c1lvarez on the edge of the box. One touch. Then an unstoppable, curling right-footed strike into the top far corner. Kobel tried but could not reach it. No goalkeeper saves that. No defensive shape prevents it. The FIFA World Cup 2026\u2122 has produced several of those individual moments \u2014 goals that stop everything \u2014 and this was one of them.<\/p>\n<p>It broke Switzerland. A team that had defended their lives for forty minutes, that had done everything their tactical structure demanded, now needed a goal with ten tired men against the defending world champions. They could not find it. Lautaro Mart\u00ednez, introduced as a substitute, buried the rebound from Almada&#8217;s shot in the final seconds of extra time. Argentina 3\u20131.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Implications_%E2%80%94_What_Argentina_Must_Solve_Before_England\"><\/span><b>Implications \u2014 What Argentina Must Solve Before England<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Argentina advanced, but the tactical questions are real. They created one shot on target in 45 minutes of the first half against a team playing 4-2-3-1. England, with their 4-3-3 pressing structure and the energy of Bellingham in transition, will be a different challenge entirely \u2014 but Argentina&#8217;s inability to break down a deep block through open play is a vulnerability that Tuchel will have identified already. Their reliance on set pieces and individual moments is fine when those moments arrive. When they do not, the team can look surprisingly laboured.<\/p>\n<p>The substitution pattern tells its own story: Argentina brought in Gonz\u00e1lez, Lautaro, Montiel, Almada, Otamendi, and L\u00f3pez during extra time, shifting progressively toward attack before resetting defensively. Scaloni&#8217;s squad depth ultimately made the difference. Against England, those same decisions in the second half and extra time could define the tie.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>Switzerland: Their Best World Cup Finish<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Switzerland exit with their heads up. Manzambi&#8217;s absence and Embolo&#8217;s early red card cost them dearly. The 4-2-3-1 was the right plan. The double pivot worked. The forty-minute defensive rearguard with ten men was remarkable. They were, ultimately, undone by one moment of brilliance that no plan could have prevented. That is not a failure. That is football.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><i>Choose the<a href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/myaccount\/subscription?plan-ref=0-11-7467&amp;asset-ref=0-6-4z5914493&amp;visibility=SELECTED&amp;context=FIFA\"> ZEE 5 FIFA Subscription<\/a> Quarterly Plan at \u20b9799 or the ZEE 5 Annual Plan subscription at \u20b91,699 to watch Argentina vs England in the FIFA World Cup 2026\u2122 semi-final live in India.<\/i><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><i>Disclaimer: Subscription pack prices are subject to change from time to time. Please visit the subscription page for the most up-to-date pricing information.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Argentina won. Switzerland held them at level for forty minutes with ten men. And then, in the 112th minute, a single moment of individual brilliance ended the contest \u2014 a goal no tactical system could have stopped, no defensive structure could have planned for. That, ultimately, is the story of this quarter-final. Two well-organised teams, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":17286,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"ub_ctt_via":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3019],"tags":[3581,3031,3481,3544],"class_list":["post-17322","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fifa-world-cup-2026","tag-argentina-vs-switzerland-tatical-analysis","tag-fifa-world-cup-2026","tag-quarter-finals","tag-semi-finals"],"acf":[],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1132x400-85.jpg","author_info":{"display_name":"Sourav K","author_link":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/author\/sourav-k\/"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Argentina vs Switzerland: Ten Men, and One Moment of Genius<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"FIFA 2026: Argentina beat Switzerland 3-1 after extra time in the FIFA World Cup 2026\u2122, thanks to \u00c1lvarez&#039;s stunning winner.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/argentina-vs-switzerland-ten-men-and-one-moment-of-genius\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Argentina vs Switzerland: Ten Men, and One Moment of Genius\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"FIFA 2026: Argentina beat Switzerland 3-1 after extra time in the FIFA World Cup 2026\u2122, thanks to \u00c1lvarez&#039;s stunning winner.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/argentina-vs-switzerland-ten-men-and-one-moment-of-genius\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"ZEE5 Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ZEE5India\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-07-12T20:46:11+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1132x400-85.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1132\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"400\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Sourav K\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@ZEE5India\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@ZEE5India\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Sourav K\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/argentina-vs-switzerland-ten-men-and-one-moment-of-genius\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/argentina-vs-switzerland-ten-men-and-one-moment-of-genius\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Sourav K\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/b7f51287e926eac1996d50ea278b7033\"},\"headline\":\"Argentina vs Switzerland: Ten Men, and One Moment of Genius\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-07-12T20:46:11+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/argentina-vs-switzerland-ten-men-and-one-moment-of-genius\/\"},\"wordCount\":1044,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/argentina-vs-switzerland-ten-men-and-one-moment-of-genius\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1132x400-85.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Argentina vs Switzerland: Tatical Analysis\",\"FIFA World cup 2026\",\"Quarter-Finals\",\"Semi-Finals\"],\"articleSection\":[\"FIFA World Cup 2026\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/argentina-vs-switzerland-ten-men-and-one-moment-of-genius\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/argentina-vs-switzerland-ten-men-and-one-moment-of-genius\/\",\"name\":\"Argentina vs Switzerland: Ten Men, and One Moment of Genius\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/argentina-vs-switzerland-ten-men-and-one-moment-of-genius\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/argentina-vs-switzerland-ten-men-and-one-moment-of-genius\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1132x400-85.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-07-12T20:46:11+00:00\",\"description\":\"FIFA 2026: Argentina beat Switzerland 3-1 after extra time in the FIFA World Cup 2026\u2122, thanks to \u00c1lvarez's stunning winner.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/argentina-vs-switzerland-ten-men-and-one-moment-of-genius\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/argentina-vs-switzerland-ten-men-and-one-moment-of-genius\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/argentina-vs-switzerland-ten-men-and-one-moment-of-genius\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1132x400-85.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1132x400-85.jpg\",\"width\":1132,\"height\":400,\"caption\":\"Argentina vs Switzerland\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/argentina-vs-switzerland-ten-men-and-one-moment-of-genius\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"FIFA World Cup 2026\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/category\/fifa-world-cup-2026\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Argentina vs Switzerland: Ten Men, and One Moment of Genius\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"ZEE5 Blog\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/#organization\",\"name\":\"ZEE5\",\"alternateName\":\"Zee Entertainment Enterprises\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Appicon_Z5Global_512x512.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Appicon_Z5Global_512x512.png\",\"width\":512,\"height\":512,\"caption\":\"ZEE5\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ZEE5India\/\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/ZEE5India\",\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCXOgAl4w-FQero1ERbGHpXQ\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/b7f51287e926eac1996d50ea278b7033\",\"name\":\"Sourav K\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6e67504e85eace1cfa60dcd37f6d3ebfe062cd8f24a419171fff86280ffae669?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6e67504e85eace1cfa60dcd37f6d3ebfe062cd8f24a419171fff86280ffae669?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Sourav K\"},\"description\":\"With over 10 years of experience in sports journalism, Sourav is a passionate football writer who has been closely following the game since the 2002 FIFA World Cup. What began as a childhood fascination with football has evolved into a lifelong commitment to understanding and analysing the sport at every level. As both an ardent fan and a former football player, Sourav brings a unique perspective to his writing. He blends firsthand playing experience with in-depth statistical analysis. Having witnessed the rise and fall of footballing dynasties across multiple FIFA World Cups, UEFA Champions League campaigns, Premier League seasons, and international tournaments, he offers readers insightful, balanced, and engaging coverage of the beautiful game. His work is driven by a desire to make football analysis accessible to everyone, right from casual followers looking to stay informed to passionate supporters seeking deeper tactical insights.\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/author\/sourav-k\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Argentina vs Switzerland: Ten Men, and One Moment of Genius","description":"FIFA 2026: Argentina beat Switzerland 3-1 after extra time in the FIFA World Cup 2026\u2122, thanks to \u00c1lvarez's stunning winner.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/argentina-vs-switzerland-ten-men-and-one-moment-of-genius\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Argentina vs Switzerland: Ten Men, and One Moment of Genius","og_description":"FIFA 2026: Argentina beat Switzerland 3-1 after extra time in the FIFA World Cup 2026\u2122, thanks to \u00c1lvarez's stunning winner.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/argentina-vs-switzerland-ten-men-and-one-moment-of-genius\/","og_site_name":"ZEE5 Blog","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ZEE5India\/","article_published_time":"2026-07-12T20:46:11+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1132,"height":400,"url":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1132x400-85.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Sourav K","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@ZEE5India","twitter_site":"@ZEE5India","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Sourav K","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/argentina-vs-switzerland-ten-men-and-one-moment-of-genius\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/argentina-vs-switzerland-ten-men-and-one-moment-of-genius\/"},"author":{"name":"Sourav K","@id":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/b7f51287e926eac1996d50ea278b7033"},"headline":"Argentina vs Switzerland: Ten Men, and One Moment of Genius","datePublished":"2026-07-12T20:46:11+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/argentina-vs-switzerland-ten-men-and-one-moment-of-genius\/"},"wordCount":1044,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/argentina-vs-switzerland-ten-men-and-one-moment-of-genius\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1132x400-85.jpg","keywords":["Argentina vs Switzerland: Tatical Analysis","FIFA World cup 2026","Quarter-Finals","Semi-Finals"],"articleSection":["FIFA World Cup 2026"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/argentina-vs-switzerland-ten-men-and-one-moment-of-genius\/","url":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/argentina-vs-switzerland-ten-men-and-one-moment-of-genius\/","name":"Argentina vs Switzerland: Ten Men, and One Moment of Genius","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/argentina-vs-switzerland-ten-men-and-one-moment-of-genius\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/argentina-vs-switzerland-ten-men-and-one-moment-of-genius\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1132x400-85.jpg","datePublished":"2026-07-12T20:46:11+00:00","description":"FIFA 2026: Argentina beat Switzerland 3-1 after extra time in the FIFA World Cup 2026\u2122, thanks to \u00c1lvarez's stunning winner.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/argentina-vs-switzerland-ten-men-and-one-moment-of-genius\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/argentina-vs-switzerland-ten-men-and-one-moment-of-genius\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/argentina-vs-switzerland-ten-men-and-one-moment-of-genius\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1132x400-85.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1132x400-85.jpg","width":1132,"height":400,"caption":"Argentina vs Switzerland"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/argentina-vs-switzerland-ten-men-and-one-moment-of-genius\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"FIFA World Cup 2026","item":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/category\/fifa-world-cup-2026\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Argentina vs Switzerland: Ten Men, and One Moment of Genius"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/","name":"ZEE5 Blog","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/#organization","name":"ZEE5","alternateName":"Zee Entertainment Enterprises","url":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Appicon_Z5Global_512x512.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Appicon_Z5Global_512x512.png","width":512,"height":512,"caption":"ZEE5"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ZEE5India\/","https:\/\/x.com\/ZEE5India","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCXOgAl4w-FQero1ERbGHpXQ"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/b7f51287e926eac1996d50ea278b7033","name":"Sourav K","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6e67504e85eace1cfa60dcd37f6d3ebfe062cd8f24a419171fff86280ffae669?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6e67504e85eace1cfa60dcd37f6d3ebfe062cd8f24a419171fff86280ffae669?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Sourav K"},"description":"With over 10 years of experience in sports journalism, Sourav is a passionate football writer who has been closely following the game since the 2002 FIFA World Cup. What began as a childhood fascination with football has evolved into a lifelong commitment to understanding and analysing the sport at every level. As both an ardent fan and a former football player, Sourav brings a unique perspective to his writing. He blends firsthand playing experience with in-depth statistical analysis. Having witnessed the rise and fall of footballing dynasties across multiple FIFA World Cups, UEFA Champions League campaigns, Premier League seasons, and international tournaments, he offers readers insightful, balanced, and engaging coverage of the beautiful game. His work is driven by a desire to make football analysis accessible to everyone, right from casual followers looking to stay informed to passionate supporters seeking deeper tactical insights.","url":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/author\/sourav-k\/"}]}},"blog_post_layout_featured_media_urls":{"thumbnail":["https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1132x400-85.jpg",150,53,false],"full":["https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1132x400-85.jpg",1132,400,false]},"categories_names":{"3019":{"name":"FIFA World Cup 2026","link":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/category\/fifa-world-cup-2026\/"}},"tags_names":{"3581":{"name":"Argentina vs Switzerland: Tatical Analysis","link":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/tag\/argentina-vs-switzerland-tatical-analysis\/"},"3031":{"name":"FIFA World cup 2026","link":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/tag\/fifa-world-cup-2026\/"},"3481":{"name":"Quarter-Finals","link":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/tag\/quarter-finals\/"},"3544":{"name":"Semi-Finals","link":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/tag\/semi-finals\/"}},"comments_number":"0","wpmagazine_modules_lite_featured_media_urls":{"thumbnail":["https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1132x400-85.jpg",150,53,false],"cvmm-medium":["https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1132x400-85.jpg",300,106,false],"cvmm-medium-plus":["https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1132x400-85.jpg",305,108,false],"cvmm-portrait":["https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1132x400-85.jpg",400,141,false],"cvmm-medium-square":["https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1132x400-85.jpg",600,212,false],"cvmm-large":["https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1132x400-85.jpg",1024,362,false],"cvmm-small":["https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1132x400-85.jpg",130,46,false],"full":["https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1132x400-85.jpg",1132,400,false]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17322","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/25"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17322"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17322\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17323,"href":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17322\/revisions\/17323"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17286"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17322"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17322"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17322"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}