Bosnia defeated Iran, 3-1, in the final match for both teams in this year's World Cup. Edin Džeko, the Bosnian striker who was wrongly denied a goal by a linesman's error in the previous match, scored in the 23rd minute to put his nation on track for their first ever World Cup victory.
As Iran pressed for the goals they needed to win, and keep their hopes of qualifying for the next round alive, Bosnia was ruthless on the counter-attack, scoring twice in the second half. First Miralem Pjani, who plays for Roma in Italy's top division, slotted home in the 59th minute. Then, just after Reza Ghoochannejhad had scored to give his nation some hope with eight minutes to play, Bosnia's Avdija Vršajević broke down the right and scored Bosnia's third.
The Iranians, having put on an impressive defensive display in their previous two matches, came up short when asked to score in this one. Meanwhile, Bosnia's fans exited the tournament grumbling about that incorrect call in the match against Nigeria and their manager's decision to experiment with his formation in that same game, sending out his team without a natural left back. Full story »
Match Highlights
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Gooooooaaaaaalllll, Dzecko! Bosnia Leads 1-0!
The match has suddenly kicked into gear in Salvador, as Edin Džeko slots in to the lower right side of Iran’s goal to put the Bosnians ahead, and moments later Iran almost equalizes with a strike from Shojaei slamming off the cross-bar and out!
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GOOOOOOOOOAAAALLLL! Bosnia Leads 2-0!
Bosnia’s Miralem Pjanić slots home, apparently from an offside position, to put his nation up two and very likely knock Iran out too.
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Goooalll! A Killer Blow From Bosnia to Iran's Hopes.
Bosnia erases Iran’s slim hopes just a minute later, Avdija Vršajević scoring to make it 3-1. Bosnian fans celebrate with some Schadenfreude.
Ladies and gentlemen – Avdija VRSAJEVIC has a goal at the World Cup. Cristiano Ronaldo does not. #BiH #IRN pic.twitter.com/PcGrqlQBww
— BHDragons (@BH_Dragons) June 25, 2014