itsbeautifuloutside

Argentina v Bosnia-Herzegovina

Rio de Janeiro, 15th June 2014

Match Report

Just imagine, you’re playing your, and your country’s, first ever world cup match. In Brazil. At the Macarana. Against Argentina. Nervous? You betcha!

There must have been a fair few butterflies fluttering in Bosnian stomachs on Sunday night. How do you set your team up for this kind of match? Be cautious; get settled into the game and don’t concede an early goal. Nice idea; but three minutes into the match that plan was scuppered when a ball played into the Bosnian 6 yard box deflected off Kolasinac and in for an own goal. Ooops! Understandably B&H looked a little bit demoralized but it wasn’t too long before they realise that Argentina aren’t looking overly threatening and that all may not yet be lost. Is it because they are playing in the Lion’s den which is affecting Argentina’s composure or are Bosnia thwarting them?

I have to admit to only watching this match on catch-up TV rather than live and, to be honest, I was quite happy as it enabled me to fizz through the first 45 minutes with its occasional shots at goal (from distance), corners and rather more than a few free kicks. Argentina didn’t look like potential world cup winners, at this stage; Bosnia & Herzegovina didn’t look anything other than relieved.

The second half opened with two Argentinian substitutions; Higuain on for Maxi Rodriguez and Gago for Campagnaro. Did this help Argentina? Ultimately, yes, and importantly as we shall see later but the immediate effect seemed to be that B&H started to get caught, by a flat back four, in offside positions. That, plus they started to give away unneccesary free kicks. The change up front took longer to have effect. The Argentine attack continued to misfire, both Aguero and Messi missing the goal. Then IT happened. Higuain and Messi make a swift interchange and off went Messi towards the Bosnian penalty area shadowed by Besic. A run across the pitch from right to left into the D and a left foot shot into the corner off the inside of goal, past Begovic from the 18 yard line. Besic was left behind as he’d been upended by Bicakcic who, presumably, had intended his tackle for the speeding Messi who had been long gone before the defender got there. 2-0 to the South Americans.

So it’s had taken until halfway into the second half before Argentina found a bit of belief and stopped being quite so tentative; B&H have to go for it now if they want to get anything out of this game and they bring on Ibisevic for Mujdza. A couple of minutes later, another change, as a fresh pair of legs is needed so Visca is brought on for Hajrovic. A few minutes later and coach Susic is taking off Misimovic (Medunjanin on), Bosnia’s most experienced player; it all looks like desperate tinkering in the hope of turning things around. Messi meanwhile is taking the opportunity to again run at his opponents defence. Somehow the European team manage to get through the remainder of the match without conceding another goal.

Lulic, who earlier had forced a good save out of Romero, found Ibisevic with a pass forward with five minutes left to play; Ibisevic shot and somehow the ball squirmed under Romero for B&H’s first World Cup goal. Bosnia, desperate for another shot at goal, press hard in the remaining minutes. Biglia, brought on in place of Aguero, stiffens the Argentine midfield and they just try to keep possession and run down the clock.

That’s how it ends. 2-1. Argentina win but not convincingly; Bosnia & Herzegovina left feeling capable and confident that they can give both Nigeria and Iran a good game. Iran and Nigeria feeling more confident too, no doubt, about meeting both of these teams.

stbaz