Scaloni says suffering is in Argentina's DNA after extra-time win over Switzerland

KANSAS CITY, Missouri, July 11 : Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said their 3-1 extra-time victory over Switzerland in the World Cup quarter-finals on Saturday was further proof that his team have grown comfortable operating in challenging situations.

Forced to come from two goals down in their improbable 3-2 round-of-16 win over Egypt, and then pushed to the limit again by a relentless Swiss side, Scaloni's men found answers when the pressure was at its greatest, scoring twice deep in extra time to reach the last four.

For Scaloni, the ability to suffer without losing belief has become one of the defining characteristics of this Argentina squad.

"We knew that we were going to suffer, and this is part of our blood, this is part of our DNA, and this brings peace of mind," the coach said.

Argentina's path through the tournament has been far from straightforward. They twice squandered leads to Cape Verde before grinding out a 3-2 victory in the round of 32, and then were 2-0 down to Egypt until the 79th minute before their comeback.

Scaloni believes the experience of Qatar 2022, where they captured the title with a penalty shootout victory over France, has helped his players navigate those difficult moments.

"In Qatar, we were not that experienced, I myself included, and those kind of situations were very difficult," he said.

"However, now we are more experienced because we know what it feels like to be dominated by the opponent, to concede an equaliser, so today we kept our composure. The team knew how to remain calm and, of course, we will never give up."

Switzerland looked capable of derailing Argentina's campaign after they equalised in the 67th minute, but Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez scored deep in extra time to secure