Key events
Penalty, Switzerland
Room for one more? In what could be the last kick of the match, Switzerland will have an opportunity to add a fourth as Mehmic hacked at Sow who got to the ball and was brought down. They’re checking, but that looks clear cut to me. Yup, Pen it is.
Jeepers, that is a stunner! It won’t make much of a difference, but 21-year-old Mahmic has something to cherish for the rest of his life. A wicked corner is punched away by Kobel but only as far as the edge of the Swiss box. Mahmic steadies himself and unleashes a rocket off his right boot that almost bursts through the net. Wow. After such a drab first half this has become a really great game.
GOAL! Switzerland 3-1 Bosnia & Herzegovina (Mahmic, 90+3)
A thunderbolt! Mahmic has caught of this and then some with a smoking hot volley from a corner!
90+1 min: Just to point out that Bosnia were dominating for the first time in the game just before the hydration break. But that pause allowed Switzerland to make the changes that have changed this game and Bosnia never recovered.
Six minutes added.
What has happened!? Xhaka is all over this. He first put Manzambi in space with a neat forward pass but the move lost momentum as Manzambi couldn’t get his feet in order. Switzerland kept possession, working it right and then back to the centre where Xhaka spotted Vargas make a run inside behind the fullback towards the byline. The weight was perfect and the cutback to Manzambi was too. The striker opened his body up as he steered it beyond the diving Vasilj. Perhaps the pick of the three goals. Lovely movement across the park.
GOAL! Switzerland 3-0 Bosnia & Herzegovina (Manzambi, 90)
And another! In a flash the Swiss are flying!
87 min: Tell you what. I think Manzambe and Vargas might have earned starting berths for their final group game. They have totally changed the game. Another delicious ball from Vargas from the left almost finds the sliding Embolo, who thrusts out a leg at the ball as it whizzes past him inside the six-yard box. That’ll be Embolo’s last act as he makes way for Itten.
I’m not posting every pun that comes my way, but this one from Russell Brady made me chuckle:
“The Swiss are ToblerOwning this now.”
They are indeed.
Another quality goal. Manzambi receives the pass on the right inside Bosnia’s half. He gets lucky with the bounce and manages to get it away square for Embolo who then shifts it along from the centre of the box to the left where Vargas is free. He meets it first time and steers it into the far corner of the net.
GOAL! Switzerland 2-0 Bosnia & Hersegovina (Vargas, 85)
Another sub on the scoresheet! That was lovely. Really, really lovely…
83 min: Hard to see how Switzerland blow this from here. A man up, in full control, they are pressing forward for the killer goal, as they should.
82 min: Vargas’ free kick is on target and has some whip, but it’s straight at Vasilj who punches it away with both hands. Vargas gets another opportunity to curl something in with a corner. That too is cleared. What a difference the substitutes have made.
RED CARD! Muharemovic (Bosnia & Herzegovina)
80 min: No doubt about it! It was a lovely ball that unleashed Manzambi who was clear on goal. Just as he was about to take the ball into the box, Muharemovic lunged out and brought down the Swiss forward. Such an obvious red that could still pay off if the fail to score from this free kick. A split second later and it would have been a penalty.
78 min: Vargas has added some zip down the left. He rushes back and wins the ball from a snoozing Bosnian who obviously never got the cry of ‘MAAAN!”’
77 min: That really was good and is a consequence of the game opening up. The space down the left was there for Vargas who ran to the byline before delivering the cross. He got a second bite of the cherry and drifted it into a dangerous zone. And if the ball isn’t cleared there’s always a risk of something happening. Manzambi absolutely drilled the volley on the turn.
What a goal! Finally! The two substitutes combine. Vargas down the left needed two attempts to get the ball in the box. Bosnia half cleared it but not far enough. It drifted up and when it came back down it was met with a thundering volley from the pirouetting Manzambi who hammered it towards the goal at 79 miles per hour. Vasilj got a hand to it but couldn’t keep it out. Great goal!
GOAL! Switzerland 1-0 Bosnia & Herzegovina (Manzambi, 75)
Straight off the bench!
73 min: Dedic, on a card, wrestles Akanji down on to the ground as he chases a lost cause down Bosnia’s right. The game has certainly stretched. Feels like the midfield is less compact than it was about 15 minutes ago.
71 min: Final quarter (more or less) underway.
69 min: Kobel makes a save as Dedic fires from deep on the angle on the right. That ball was swerving and the Swiss keeper needed to get low.
And just as Bosnia has started to exert themselves on the game, just as they have wrestled back momentum and the crowd has found their voice, we are taking a hydration break.
I hate it, I hate it, I hate it!
66 min: Oh that is disappointing. Basic’s ball doesn’t beat the first man. All the Bosnians made a far post run so that needed to be much deeper. Kolasinac gets the ball down the left and wriggles. Alajbegovic monstered by two hefty defenders in red. The kid is lively. I’d like to see more of him as this game stretches.
65 min: The Bosnians are on the ball and their fans are chanting. They are starting to believe they can nick something here. Now they have a free kick from a potentially dangerous area on the left as Elvedi is booked for a clumsy tackle.
62 min: It’s a bit stop-start at the minute. Another Bosnian foul on halfway halts a sweeping counter. But they’ve worked it well and Ndoye has a sniff inside the Bosnian box after a cute little ball round the corner from Rieder. But it’s cleared for a corner.
Embolo sticks a head at the delivery and gets a small piece on it, forcing a save at the near post from Vasilj. But it was never going to beat the keeper.
Dzeko’s race is run. He’s replaced by Bajraktarevic. Tahirovic is also hooked for Basic.
61 min: Dzeko is booked after clattering Akanji late. He’s still rushing the Swiss centrebacks. Fair play to the old geezer.
59 min: Back to the footy, a long Bosnian throw down their left is cleared off a Swiss head. The Swiss break and Dedic is shown a yellow card for tugging at the cantering Ndoye. Will be interesting to see how that duel develops now.
For the record, I think this has been a great World Cup so far.
There will always be a few duds, but that’s sport.
Matt Burtz adds:
“It is axiomatic that group stage matches must be completed for there to be a knockout stage. This is why I bristle at the notion that certain group stage matches don’t matter; teams only advance if they actually win/draw said matches. Ultimately teams have to perform on the field. And as a result sometimes there will be clunkers, but that’s the way it goes”.
In an email titled ‘Group Stage Stinkers’ David Hindle just says “Italy 1982. Sulphurous.”
56 min: BEST MOMENT OF THE GAME! No, it’s not a goal, but it’s a stunning effort from Ndoye who unfurls a textbook perfect bicycle kick to a cross from the right. He caught it perfectly but it was straight at Vasilj who raised his hands and made the save from about eight metres out. Phew, that would have been really special.
55 min: Corner to Switzerland as Dzeko has his pocket picked by Ekanji who then unleashes Ndoye. The Swiss winger runs hard and straight and shoots though it’s blocked behind. Dzeko takes a while to get back to his feet, partly in embarrassment I’m assuming.
53 min: That’s sort of a chance. Freuler drifts a ball into the box from the left. Aebischer charges in from midfield and leaps towards it at the back post. He’s in no position to get the header on target, but that was a handy run. On another day it’s all inch perfect. But that day is not this day.
51 min: Better from the Swiss. Ekanji drops a shoulder high up the pitch and pings a pass to Ndoye who is free on the left wing. He cuts infield and lets loose a shot from the edge of the box. He goes near post and doesn’t catch it. Still, he forces Vasilj into a save low down.
50 min: Embolo is double marked with Katic cleaning him up. Bosnia will be pleased with this opening five minutes.
49th min: Embolo has the first touch of a trampoline as the ball bounces off him and is cleared away. Switzerland have not started this half with the requisite zip they need to break the deadlock.
Graeme Neill isn’t wrong, is he?
Everybody gets misty eyed about the group stages, arguing that they’re the best opportunity in a World Cup for absolute classic matches. That’s probably true but as that half and the match earlier show, they’re also the best opportunity for some absolute stinkers.
46 min: More of the same, really. Rodriguez hoists a lame cross from the left that is easily headed away.
Second half
Salad wolfed down, five-year-old running about like a maniac well past his bed time, the players in California are out and about and ready to go.
Let’s get this on!
James Humphries has a head scratcher for ya’ll:
One thing worth noting – I think this came up in a previous mbm, but, like, I’ve seen Uzbekistan-colombia and iran-eli just in real time so cut me some slack if I’m a bit confused – is that the refereeing so far has been… sensible? As a scarred Scottish premiership watcher, I keep seeing meaty tackles go in, waiting for the whistle, and then having a moment where I try to reconcile I) the referee clearly just seeing contact in a contact sport with II) the way I’m used to seeing a contact sport being (badly) refereed.
I broadly agree. In fact, there have only been two howlers I can recall.
The first was not giving France a penalty against Senegal and the second was giving South Africa a penalty against Czechia.
The first was immaterial as France got the comfortable win anyway and I have no issue with the second as it helped my countrymen nab an undeserving point.
So full marks to the whistle blowers as far as I’m concerned, though I’m sure many of you are readying a robust reply.
Here comes an email dump which should give me enough time to shovel some dinner down:
Julien Menz:
I tried to get my daughter (10) into the sweden and England games (we live in Sweden) but she had better things to do.
Now, after watching clips of fans from various nations (looking at you England, Scotland and the Netherlands), she’s up for every game.
I’ve actually done a watch-every-game-possible WC, but that was Tequila-fuelled back in 06.
Next she’ll want me to take her to Glastonbury….
Russell Brady:
Swiss not the same after [redacted bit – but it’s Shaqiri]
There’s loads more about hydration breaks, the grim commercialisation of the beautioful game and a few cheese and banker jokes, though, as Justin Kavanagh says, “I’m staying neutral”.
See you in a bit. There’s a tuna nicoise with my name on it.
Switzerland had all the ball but failed to do anything with it.
73% possession but only one more – four to three – attempt than Bosnia. And most of those were from range.
Xhaka was been majestic but that’s about it.
Half-time: Switzerland 0-0 Bosnia & Herzegovina
That’ll be that. Pretty drab if I’m being honest.
45+3 min: I’m going to copy and paste “Ndoye jinks down the left, wriggles, cuts but can’t find the final ball”. Because that has happened yet again and I’m sure it won’t be the last time it happens.
45+2 min: More good defensive work from the Bosnians as they easily clear a Rodriguez clipped cross from the byline down the left.
45+1 min: That Rodriguez ball that bounces into the arms of Vasilj and is nowhere near a teammate sums it up. He smiles, but this has been very frustrating from the Swiss. Once again Ndoye runs around down the left but doesn’t get a cross away.
44 min: Ooooh, Bosnia should have done better there. Lovely from Alajbegovic who gathered on the left flank, cut infield and waited for Kolasinac to run past him. Dzeko was at the back post but the ball didn’t reach him as the cross was steered away for a Bosnian corner. They can’t do anything with the set piece opportunity. Still, that was slick interplay.
43 min: Dedic runs down the Bosnian right. He looks more confident as he takes on a defender. But he leaves the ball behind and Switzerland are back on it to the sound of boos. Funny game this.
40 min: Dzeko shoots from inside Switzerland’s box and it’s closed down. Much better from Bosnia who unfurled a sweeping move that took them on the edge of the Swiss area. They lost the ball but won it back after a cheap giveaway by the Swiss. As it rolled across the D, Dzeko lined up his effort but the onrushing cover from Akanji was too quick for him. Again, that just proves how precarious this is for the Swiss despite their dominance of the ball.
39 min: The ball hits the referee as Xhaka’s forward pass doesn’t reach its target. Always exciting/frustrating. They restart with with a dropped ball and Switzerland are back on the attack. Ndoye cuts this way and that, Dedic has him covered and the call is for a goal kick. Ndoye can’t believe it. Dedic will be pleased with how that tussle is going so far.
36 min: Switzerland all over Bosnia. They win a corner when Embolo’s header back infield bounces off a defender. But you know what, Katic and co are up to the task. After from that Freuler fizzer just before the break, they’ve kept Switzerland at arm’s length despite the possession imbalance. And now Memic cuts infield off his left wing and fires a shot. It’s straight at Kobel and from a long way out. But that underlines the danger of this scoreline.
34 min: Ndoye has his man on toast down the left. He just can’t find that final pass. Not for the first time he drops a shoulder and gets himself into a crossing position. The ball is drilled low and is easily cleared.
33 min: That’s woken up the Bosnian fans who are back to booing as Switzerland pass the ball around. Widmer plays a give and go that almost puts him free inside the right of Bosnia’s box. But once again swift defence on the cover snuffs out the danger.
32 min: Alajbegovic slips in a lovely ball for Dzeko down the left inside the Swiss box. The veteran forward looks up and dinks a floater to the back post but no one can get on the end of it. Really good from young Alajbegovic. He needs more of the ball if they can get it to him. Bosnia’s best move of the game.
30 min: As expected, that drinks break has stripped Switzerland of their fluency. They’ve been reduced to lumping long balls to Embolo who has been well covered by the Bosnian centrebacks.
27 min: A rare loose pass from Xhaka in an advanced position lets Bosnia off the hook. But Switzerland are back on it after sloppiness from Bosnia though Embolo can’t bring the ball under control. Now Bosnia are on the ball with Memic down the left. This is their longest spell in possession. There’s a tame ball into the box from young Alajbegovic which Xhaka, back lending a hand, hoofs away.
25 min: They’re back after a drink.
Stephen McCrossan just wants to say that “Granit Xhaka is a lovely footballer”.
He really is.
Russell Brady adds: “Swiss attack asking questions, unlike the country’s banking executives”
Four readers have made jokes about cheese.
Hydration break. Yuck. I wonder if that might take some of the wind out of Switzerland’s sails. They’ve utterly dominated this first quarter.
23 min: Freuler has a pop from long range and it fizzes past the post on the right as Vasilj dives across. Fair enough. Switzerland were zipping it around but not quite working the shooting opportunity.
