Key events<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
I hate it, I hate it, I hate it!<\/p>\n
Share<\/a><\/p>\n 66 min: Oh that is disappointing. Basic\u2019s ball doesn\u2019t 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\u2019d like to see more of him as this game stretches.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 62 min: It\u2019s a bit stop-start at the minute. Another Bosnian foul on halfway halts a sweeping counter. But they\u2019ve worked it well and Ndoye has a sniff inside the Bosnian box after a cute little ball round the corner from Rieder. But it\u2019s cleared for a corner.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Dzeko\u2019s race is run. He\u2019s replaced by Bajraktarevic. Tahirovic is also hooked for Basic.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 61 min: Dzeko is booked after clattering Akanji late. He\u2019s still rushing the Swiss centrebacks. Fair play to the old geezer.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n For the record, I think this has been a great World Cup<\/a> so far. <\/p>\n There will always be a few duds, but that\u2019s sport.<\/p>\n Matt Burtz adds:<\/p>\n \u201cIt 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\u2019t 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\u2019s the way it goes\u201d.<\/p>\n In an email titled \u2018Group Stage Stinkers\u2019 David Hindle just says \u201cItaly 1982. Sulphurous.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 56 min: BEST MOMENT OF THE GAME! No, it\u2019s not a goal, but it\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n Dan Ndoye with a spectacular overhead kick! Photograph: Daniel Cole\/ReutersShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a016.22 EDT<\/p>\n 55 min: Corner to Switzerland<\/a> as Dzeko has his pocket picked by Ekanji who then unleashes Ndoye. The Swiss winger runs hard and straight and shoots though it\u2019s blocked behind. Dzeko takes a while to get back to his feet, partly in embarrassment I\u2019m assuming.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 53 min: That\u2019s 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\u2019s in no position to get the header on target, but that was a handy run. On another day it\u2019s all inch perfect. But that day is not this day.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 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\u2019t catch it. Still, he forces Vasilj into a save low down.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 50 min: Embolo is double marked with Katic cleaning him up. Bosnia will be pleased with this opening five minutes.<\/p>\n Breel Embolo is tackled by Nikola Katic and Tarik Muharemovic. Photograph: Frederic J Brown\/AFP\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a016.18 EDT<\/p>\n 49th min: Embolo has the first touch of a trampoline as the ball bounces off him and is cleared away. Switzerland<\/a> have not started this half with the requisite zip they need to break the deadlock.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Graeme Neill isn\u2019t wrong, is he?<\/p>\n double quotation markEverybody gets misty eyed about the group stages, arguing that they\u2019re the best opportunity in a World Cup for absolute classic matches. That\u2019s probably true but as that half and the match earlier show, they\u2019re also the best opportunity for some absolute stinkers.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 46 min: More of the same, really. Rodriguez hoists a lame cross from the left that is easily headed away.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Second half<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s get this on!<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n James Humphries has a head scratcher for ya\u2019ll:<\/p>\n double quotation markOne thing worth noting – I think this came up in a previous mbm, but, like, I\u2019ve seen Uzbekistan-colombia and iran-eli just in real time so cut me some slack if I\u2019m 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\u2019m used to seeing a contact sport being (badly) refereed.<\/p>\n I broadly agree. In fact, there have only been two howlers I can recall.<\/p>\n The first was not giving France a penalty against Senegal and the second was giving South Africa a penalty against Czechia.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n So full marks to the whistle blowers as far as I\u2019m concerned, though I\u2019m sure many of you are readying a robust reply.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Here comes an email dump which should give me enough time to shovel some dinner down:<\/p>\n Julien Menz:<\/p>\n double quotation markI tried to get my daughter (10) into the sweden and England games (we live in Sweden) but she had better things to do.<\/p>\n Now, after watching clips of fans from various nations (looking at you England, Scotland and the Netherlands), she\u2019s up for every game.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve actually done a watch-every-game-possible WC, but that was Tequila-fuelled back in 06.<\/p>\n Next she\u2019ll want me to take her to Glastonbury\u2026.<\/p>\n Russell Brady:<\/p>\n double quotation markSwiss not the same after [redacted bit \u2013 but it\u2019s Shaqiri]<\/p>\n There\u2019s loads more about hydration breaks, the grim commercialisation of the beautioful game and a few cheese and banker jokes, though, as Justin Kavanagh says, \u201cI\u2019m staying neutral\u201d.<\/p>\n See you in a bit. There\u2019s a tuna nicoise with my name on it.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Switzerland had all the ball but failed to do anything with it. <\/p>\n 73% possession but only one more \u2013 four to three \u2013 attempt than Bosnia. And most of those were from range.<\/p>\n Xhaka was been majestic but that\u2019s about it.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Half-time: Switzerland 0-0 Bosnia & Herzegovina<\/p>\n That\u2019ll be that. Pretty drab if I\u2019m being honest.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 45+3 min: I\u2019m going to copy and paste \u201cNdoye jinks down the left, wriggles, cuts but can\u2019t find the final ball\u201d. Because that has happened yet again and I\u2019m sure it won\u2019t be the last time it happens.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 45+2 min: More good defensive work from the Bosnians as they easily clear a Rodriguez clipped cross from the byline down the left.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 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\u2019t get a cross away.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 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\u2019t reach him as the cross was steered away for a Bosnian corner. They can\u2019t do anything with the set piece opportunity. Still, that was slick interplay.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 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<\/a> are back on it to the sound of boos. Funny game this.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 40 min: Dzeko shoots from inside Switzerland\u2019s box and it\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 39 min: The ball hits the referee as Xhaka\u2019s forward pass doesn\u2019t reach its target. Always exciting\/frustrating. They restart with with a dropped ball and Switzerland<\/a> 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\u2019t believe it. Dedic will be pleased with how that tussle is going so far.<\/p>\n Bosnia and Herzegovina goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj punches clear. Photograph: Andr\u00e9 Penner\/APShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a015.48 EDT<\/p>\n 36 min: Switzerland all over Bosnia. They win a corner when Embolo\u2019s 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\u2019ve kept Switzerland<\/a> at arm\u2019s length despite the possession imbalance. And now Memic cuts infield off his left wing and fires a shot. It\u2019s straight at Kobel and from a long way out. But that underlines the danger of this scoreline.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 34 min: Ndoye has his man on toast down the left. He just can\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 33 min: That\u2019s woken up the Bosnian fans who are back to booing as Switzerland<\/a> pass the ball around. Widmer plays a give and go that almost puts him free inside the right of Bosnia\u2019s box. But once again swift defence on the cover snuffs out the danger.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 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\u2019s best move of the game.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 30 min: As expected, that drinks break has stripped Switzerland<\/a> of their fluency. They\u2019ve been reduced to lumping long balls to Embolo who has been well covered by the Bosnian centrebacks.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 27 min: A rare loose pass from Xhaka in an advanced position lets Bosnia off the hook. But Switzerland<\/a> are back on it after sloppiness from Bosnia though Embolo can\u2019t bring the ball under control. Now Bosnia are on the ball with Memic down the left. This is their longest spell in possession. There\u2019s a tame ball into the box from young Alajbegovic which Xhaka, back lending a hand, hoofs away.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 25 min: They\u2019re back after a drink.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Stephen McCrossan just wants to say that \u201cGranit Xhaka is a lovely footballer\u201d. <\/p>\n He really is.<\/p>\n Russell Brady adds: \u201cSwiss attack asking questions, unlike the country\u2019s banking executives\u201d<\/p>\n Four readers have made jokes about cheese.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Hydration break. Yuck. I wonder if that might take some of the wind out of Switzerland\u2019s sails. They\u2019ve utterly dominated this first quarter.<\/p>\n You absolutely love to see it. Photograph: Patrick T Fallon\/AFP\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a015.40 EDT<\/p>\n 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<\/a> were zipping it around but not quite working the shooting opportunity.<\/p>\n