Match 55: Di Maria sends Argentina to quarters with late winner against Swiss

Angel di Maria (R) celebrates with a relieved Argentine captain Lionel Messi after netting a late goal against Switzerland

Argentina calls time on Switzerland with a dramatic win after Di Maria scores off Messi’s assist in the 118 minute.

Argentina beat Switzerland 1—0 to reach the quarterfinals of the World Cup on Tuesday thanks to an extra-time goal from Angel Di Maria.

The breakthrough came in the 118th minute when Lionel Messi released Di Maria and he shot past Diego Benaglio.

The Swiss were aiming to reach their first World Cup quarter-final since 1954 and almost equalised when Blerim Czemaili hit the post a minute later but Argentina held on to the delight of their 10,000 supporters inside the Corinthians Arena.

It had been a frustrating afternoon in Sao Paulo with Messi unable to add to his four tournament goals so far. He had his first shot smothered by Swiss keeper Diego Benaglio on the quarter-hour and then cut between Ricardo Rodriguez and Valon Behrami only for Rodriguez to recover his position and clear.

Di Maria was also causing the Swiss problems and when he won a free-kick just outside the penalty area Messi took it and found the head of Gonzalo Higuain who headed over.

Anything Messi could do at one end Xherdan Shaqiri was showing he could match. Shaqiri dribbled around Marcos Rojo and pulled the ball intelligently back to the edge of the area where Granit Xhaka drilled a low shot goal wards that Romero saved.

Switzerland had an even better chance shortly after when Shaqiri raced away on the break. The ball ran straight to Josip Drmic who only had the keeper to beat but inexplicably he lofted a weak shot into the hands of Romero.

Switzerland started the second half on the front foot with Shaqiri testing Romero with a free-kick that almost crept in at the keeper’s near post.

For Argentina, Rojo got forward from full-back to draw a save from Benaglio and then crossed for Higuain, whose header was brilliantly tipped over by the Swiss keeper.

Higuain again should have done better with a header, this time glancing Pablo Zabaletta’s cross wide. Messi also went close with a shot from distance as Argentina pressed. Rodrigo Palacio came on for Argentina and the Inter Milan striker almost scored with a header from his first touch after he connected with a Messi cross.

Di Maria had the best chance of the first period of extra time, racing away down the left but producing a poor cross at the end of it that was cleared by Johan Djourou.

He also had the first chance of the second period with a shot that Benaglio tipped over and finally with two minutes left he went one better finishing from Messi’s astute pass to send Argentina through.

Match 43: Swiss extend Hitzfeld’s farewell tour with 3-0 win over Honduras

Honduras' goalkeeper Noel Valladares (back) challenges Switzerland's midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri as he advances with the ball during the match

Switzerland extended the farewell tour of coach Ottmar Hitzfeld on Wednesday, collecting a 3-0 victory over Honduras in Group E to book their spot in the round of 16 thanks to a hat-trick by Xherdan Shaqiri.

With Hitzfeld due to retire after the Brazil finals, man of the match Shaqiri made sure the Nati boss has at least one more game as the Bayern Munich midfielder scored goals in the sixth, 31st and 71st minutes.

It was the second hat-trick of the 2014 World Cup — following Thomas Mueller’s three goals for Germany against Portugal - and 50th in World Cup history.

Switzerland finished second in the group behind France with six points and set up a date in the last 16 with Group F winners Argentina.

France top the group with seven points, Ecuador are third with four and Honduras exit the World Cup without a point and just one goal.

Hitzfeld made two changes to his line-up with Fabian Schar coming into the defence for injured leader Steve von Bergen while Josip Drmic replaced Haris Seferovic up front.

Honduras boss Luis Fernando Suarez swapped two positions as Wilson Palacios returned from his yellow card suspension and Juan Carlos Garcia came on for Luis Garrido and Emilio Izaguirre.

The Swiss nearly took the lead in the third minute but Honduras keeper Noel Valladares was just able to get his foot on the stocky Shaqiri’s low shot.

The Europeans continued their energetic early push forward and jumped ahead three minutes later on a superb strike by Shaqiri, who raced to his left to create enough space to unleash a left-foot blast just inside the upper left corner.

The Swiss took their foot off the pedal for a while in the heat and humidity at Manaus’s Arena Amazonia.

And they used a lethal counter-attack to double the lead in the 31st minute. Honduras’s Victor Bernarndez lost a ball in the midfield, sending Drmic out on the break. Shaqiri raced after him and was fed the ball before calmly hitting into the lower right corner for the 2-0 advantage.

Honduras controlled the ball much more in the first half but failed to create any real dangerous chances.

That changed three minutes after the re-start as Jerry Bengtson just missed getting his head on a fine cross from the left side by Wilson Palacios.

The Central Americans were close again after 52 minutes but Swiss defender Ricardo Rodriguez cleared Bengtson’s shot at the line.

Honduras remained the more authoritative side and called for a penalty at the 61—minute mark with Johan Djourou clearly running into Jerry Palacios in the box. But the Argentine referee Nester Pitana did not point to the spot.

And Switzerland made the underdogs pay for their inefficiency as Shaqiri completed his hat—trick. Drmic beat Bernardez on the dribble before finding the Bayern winger alone in the box for an easy finish.

Despite trailing by three goals, Honduras remained a determined side but could not overcome Swiss keeper Diego Benaglio, who made a great save from Andy Najar in the 78th minute.

Match 25: France beats Swiss 5-2 to take control of Group E

France's goalkeeper Hugo Lloris dives and fails to stop the ball as Switzerland's Blerim Dzemaili scores his 1st goal

Forwards Olivier Giroud and Karim Benzema each scored one goal and created another as rampant France blew Switzerland away 5-2 on Friday to take control of Group E and all but seal a place in the next round.

France has six points and can qualify if Ecuador and Honduras draw later Friday.

Giroud and Blasie Matuidi scored a minute apart and Mathieu Valbuena added another to give France a 3-0 halftime lead.

Benzema made up for a penalty miss in the first half with a poacher’s finish in the 67th, and then turned provider for Moussa Sissoko, who made it 5-0 with a neat side-footed effort in the 73rd.

Switzerland pulled two consolation goals back as Blerim Dzemaili scored with a free kick in the 81st and Granit Xhaka slotted in the second in the 87th.

Match 9: Last minute gasp win for Swiss over Ecuador

A goal deep in stoppage-time by Haris Seferovic gave Switzerland a dramatic 2-1 victory over Ecuador in their Group E opener at the World Cup on Sunday.

A low-quality match looked destined to end in a draw until substitute Seferovic fired home the winner from close range in the last of three minutes of injury time. Ecuador barely had time to restart before the final whistle was blown.

The opening goal

Enner Valencia had given Ecuador the lead in the 22nd minute at Estadio Nacional in the Brazilian capital.

That came after abject defending and Switzerland’s equaliser in the 48th was in the same vein, Admir Mehmedi — another substitute — heading home from close range.

It was the fifth time in nine matches so far at this World Cup that a team had come from behind to win.

After being among the bores of the last two World Cups, it was expected to be all change for Switzerland — ranked No. 6 by FIFA and the top-seeded team in a group also containing France and Honduras.