Bosnia and Herzegovina
Today's Talking Points
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1Bosnia and Herzegovina's World Cup ended in the Round of 32, beaten 2-0 by hosts USA in San Francisco on July 1. Folarin Balogun scored just before half-time, was then controversially sent off just after the hour, and Malik Tillman added a second in the 82nd minute to finish it off.
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2Just reaching this tournament was the achievement — Bosnia hadn't been to a World Cup since 2014, and got here via back-to-back penalty shootout wins in the playoffs, first over Wales, then away to Italy in Zenica.
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3Going out ten-against-eleven after a red card stings, and it's worth being sympathetic rather than dismissive about it — these things happen fast in a match, and Bosnia were competitive right up until that moment.
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4The name that matters here is captain Edin Džeko, who led the team at 40 years old in what's almost certainly his final World Cup. He survived the siege of Sarajevo as a child and finishes his international career with 73 goals in 148 caps — comfortably the most decorated player his country has ever produced.
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5This was billed as 'Džeko's last dance,' and Bosnia gave him a send-off worthy of the name — a first World Cup appearance in over a decade, delivered in large part because of him. Whatever comes next for Bosnia, this tournament belonged to one player's remarkable career.
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Top thing to say down the pub
Bosnia go out in the Round of 32 to the co-hosts, but the story was always Edin Džeko — forty years old, leading his country to their first World Cup in twelve years, and bowing out with his head held high.
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Avoid saying
Don't reduce this to 'they only got there on penalties' — two shootout wins in the playoffs, including away to Italy, is exactly the kind of achievement Bosnia fans will want acknowledged, not diminished.