Switzerland surge past 10-man Bosnia-Herzegovina with four late goals

LOS ANGELES: Switzerland boosted their hopes of advancing from Group B with a 4-1 victory over Bosnia-Herzegovina on Thursday, pulling away late after the dismissal of Bosnia defender Tarik Muharemovic at SoFi Stadium.

The Swiss had the better of a subdued contest for long stretches but were unable to break through until coach Murat Yakin changed his attack in the 72nd minute. Two of the substitutes, Johan Manzambi and Ruben Vargas, quickly shifted the momentum and helped turn a tight match into a one-sided result.

Manzambi struck with his first touch after Vargas delivered from the left and Amar Memic's attempted headed clearance dropped kindly for him. Bosnia's problems deepened in the 79th minute when Muharemovic was sent off for a sliding challenge from behind on Breel Embolo as the forward was through on goal.

Switzerland then took full advantage. In the 84th minute, Manzambi moved in from the right and found Embolo, who squared for Vargas to finish into an open net. Six minutes later, Vargas returned the favour with a cut-back for Manzambi, the 20-year-old Freiburg player guiding the ball beyond the goalkeeper for his second of the game.

Bosnia-Herzegovina briefly responded in stoppage time when substitute Ermin Mamhic scored from the edge of the area after Swiss goalkeeper Gregor Kobel pushed out a corner. But Switzerland restored their three-goal margin moments later as captain Granit Xhaka converted a penalty after Amar Memic brought down a Swiss player in the box.

Late changes prove decisive

Before the late flurry, Switzerland had largely controlled possession without making it count. Veteran midfielders Xhaka and Remo Freuler directed much of their side's play down the left toward Dan Ndoye, but poor deliveries and wasteful finishing kept the match scoreless.

Bosnia-Herzegovina, featuring 40-year-old Edin Dzeko, gradually settled after a cautious start. Their best opening of the first half came in the 32nd minute when Dzeko swept the ball across the six-yard area toward Benjamin Tahirovic, who was unable to make contact at the far post.

Switzerland nearly broke the deadlock early in the second half through Ndoye, whose bicycle kick from a Xhaka cross forced Nikola Vasilj into a save. Dzeko, growing increasingly frustrated, was later booked after clattering into Manuel Akanji before being substituted.

Group B picture

The result lifted Switzerland to the top of Group B on four points, three ahead of the other teams before Canada and Qatar were due to play later on Thursday. The win left the Swiss with a strong chance of progressing as one of the top two sides in the group.

Bosnia-Herzegovina, playing in only their second World Cup, had large support inside the stadium, with fans in blue outnumbering Swiss backers for much of the afternoon.