Introduction

On July 4th, 2018, the world witnessed a thrilling penalty shootout between Argentina and Colombia in the World Cup quarterfinals. The match was held at Spartak Stadium in Moscow and ended in a 1-1 draw after extra time. The penalty shootout saw both teams fighting tooth and nail to secure a place in the semifinals. Here are some of the highlights of the match.

The Penalty Shootout

The penalty shootout began with Colombia's Juan Cuadrado taking the first penalty. He missed, hitting the crossbar, and gave Argentina an early advantage. Lionel Messi, Argentina's talisman, stepped up and scored his penalty with ease, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way. Colombia's Radamel Falcao then stepped up and scored, leveling the score at 1-1. Argentina's second penalty was taken by Paulo Dybala, who missed the target, hitting the post. Colombia, however, failed to capitalize on this, as their second penalty was also missed by Luis Muriel. The score remained 1-1 after three penalties each.

The Dramatic Conclusion

The fourth penalty was taken by Colombia's Mateus Uribe, who hit the crossbar, missing the target. The pressure was now on Argentina's Sergio Aguero, who had to score to keep his team's hopes alive. He stepped up and scored a brilliant penalty, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way. The score was now 2-2 after four penalties each. Colombia's fifth penalty was taken by Carlos Bacca, but his shot was saved by the Argentine goalkeeper Franco Armani. The stage was now set for Argentina's Gonzalo Higuain, who had the chance to send his team to the semifinals. He stepped up and took a powerful shot, but it hit the crossbar, leaving the score at 2-2 after five penalties each.

Argentina Triumphs

The match then went into sudden death, with both teams taking one penalty each. Colombia's sixth penalty was taken by Jefferson Lerma, who scored. Argentina's sixth penalty was taken by Rodrigo De Paul, who also scored. The score was now 3-3 after six penalties each. Colombia's seventh penalty was taken by Yerry Mina, who scored. The pressure was now on Argentina's Cristian Pavon, who had to score to keep his team's hopes alive. He stepped up and scored, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way. The score was now 4-4 after seven penalties each. Colombia's eighth penalty was taken by Davinson Sanchez, but his shot was saved by Armani. The stage was now set for Argentina's Maxi Meza, who had the chance to win the match for his team. He stepped up and scored, sending Argentina to the semifinals with a 5-4 victory in the penalty shootout.

In conclusion, the Argentina-Colombia penalty shootout was a nail-biting affair that kept fans on the edge of their seats. Both teams fought hard, but Argentina emerged victorious in the end. It was a fitting end to a match that was full of drama and excitement.