Safet Susic skipped the formalities and named his selection of 24 players who will definitely be on the flight to Rio de Janeiro for the World Cup this summer. One player will not make the final cut, but he'll still be with the team in Brazil...
The 2014 World Cup will be historic for Bosnia and Herzegovina. For the first time since achieving independence, the national team will play at a major football tournament...
Why Sead Kolasinac Will Be Bosnia-Herzegovina's Surprise Weapon at the World Cup
May 2, 2014
Bosnia's Sead Kolasinac (5) leaps over Argentina's Rodrigo-Palacio, bottom, during the first half of an international friendly soccer match Monday, Nov. 18, 2013, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
Manager Safet Susic relied on his attacking options in World Cup qualification, where Bosnia topped their group with nine wins in 10 matches, scoring 30 goals. That made them the fourth-most efficient team in Europe, just behind powerhouses like Germany (37), Netherlands (34) and England (31), but at the same time, their imperfections in the back line were exposed.
While Edin Dzeko and Vedad Ibisevic were paired in all 10 competitive matches the last two years, Susic struggled to create stability and consistency in defence. Captain Emir Spahic was the only unbroken link; Susic tried nine different players in the campaign but never found the perfect solution.
One of the reasons was the fact that he had no proper option for left-back. He tried out both Lazio's Senad Lulic and Hoffenheim's Sejad Salihovic, but they lack the natural sense for defending, what made Bosnians vulnerable down the flanks. After former Ranger Sasa Papac decided to retire, Susic's squad list was simply deprived of a natural left-footed defender, and he was desperate for a quick fix. Then the message from Gelsenkirchen arrived.
Sead Kolasinac told Bosnian paper Dnevni Avaz in August 2012 that he was ready to turn his back on Germany and play for Bosnia if they wanted him.
He was totally anonymous at the time. The Schalke 04 left-back had just turned 18 and signed his professional contract with the Bundesliga side. He was still waiting for his league debut, and most people, including Susic, were sceptical. But in just a couple of months, Kolasinac made the first-team shirt his own and was called up for the German U-20 team. The Bosnians did the same as with many before him—Miralem Pjanic, Zvjezdan Misimovic or Asmir Begovic to mention some—and convinced him to switch citizenship.
This additionally motivated the young defender, who soon played his first minutes in the Champions League, and established himself as a regular with Schalke. If not the most skilled and creative player, Kolasinac is a raging bull when it comes to defending.
MADRID, SPAIN - MARCH 18: Gareth Bale of Real Madrid is pursued by Sead Kolasinac of Schalke during the UEFA Champions League Round of 16, second leg match between Real Madrid and FC Schalke 04 at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on March 18, 2014 in Madrid, Sp
Quite ambitions and self-confident for his age, Sead developed his tackling and duel game, cultivating this into a positive aggression. This is exactly what Bosnian needed—a modern defender for the future who is mature enough to play at the World cup as well. He made his debut versus Argentina in St. Louis, but after only two caps, he is almost certain for the starting XI at Maracana next month.
Bosnians won all the praise for their attacking approach in qualification, but to create a good result on the big stage, they will have to learn how to defend. The Destroyer, as Kolasinac was nicknamed by Bosnian fans who seem to adore him, could be the answer to Susic’s prayers and his surprise weapon at the back.
Safet Susic will face journalists next Monday and recite 23 names that will be on the passenger list on the flight to Rio. However, not many surprises are expected...
For the first time in their history, Bosnia and Herzegovina will play at major football tournament, the World cup in Brazil...
Charting Bosnia's 2014 World Cup Success
Oct 16, 2013
Amid all the fanfare about the World Cup holders Spain qualifying for the 2014 edition, about England scraping through at the top of their group and Russia holding off the challenge of Portugal, another story emerged: that of Bosnia-Herzegovina qualifying for their first-ever finals.
As a country, Bosnia-Herzegovina has only existed since 1992. However, the end of the nation of Yugoslavia did not immediately mean Bosnia had its own national football team. The Bosnian War lasted a further three years, meaning it was '95 before Bosnia-Herzegovina was officially recognised as a FIFA member.
Too late to participate in the Euro '96 qualifiers, their first attempt in qualifying for a major tournament was for the 1998 World Cup.
Three successive failures at attempting to reach major tournaments were perhaps an inevitable consequence of starting afresh in football terms, but Euro 2004 hinted at improved form as they ended fourth out of five teams—but just two points separated the top four, all of whom won four matches, Bosnia included.
During World Cup 2010 qualifying and Euro 2012, Bosnia went closer than ever before; both times they finished as runners-up in their groups and went on to the playoffs—but also on both occasions, Portugal stood in their way and barred the door to a major tournament.
Little surprise, then, that the celebrations were both instant and explosive when the final whistle went in Kaunas on Tuesday night:
Sport picture of the day: Bosnia-Herzegovina's World Cup flares: Bosnia-Herzegovina fans celebrate their team'... http://t.co/08g4hO1jO7
The World Cup 2014 qualifiers saw Bosnia-Herzegovina drawn in the same group as Greece, Slovakia, Lithuania, Latvia and Liechtenstein.
Things couldn't have gone much better in the opening games as they put eight past the minnows of the group, Liechtenstein, before a rampant 4-1 win over Latvia. A 0-0 draw with Greece was also to be applauded—Greece, dull and uninspiring as they might be as a footballing nation, are regularly amongst tournament-goers and have an enviable defensive record. An away draw, then, was no bad thing.
Three successive wins really gave rise to the belief that they could do it this time around.
Lithuania and Latvia were both swept aside, the latter by a 5-0 scoreline, but sandwiched in the middle was the all-important clash: a 3-1 home victory over Greece.
It was the three stars of the national team who found the scoresheet in that game; Vedad Ibisevic, Edin Dzeko and Miralem Pjanic are far from the only quality players in this squad, but they are perhaps the most talented and the most important.
Every great story has to have a moment of doubt, slip-up and worry, though, and Bosnia's came with only three more matches left to play.
An unexpected home defeat against Slovakia meant they were once again level on points with Greece, a situation that would remain unchanged to the end of the group phase. There was no more margin for error, and only goal difference—massively in Bosnia's favour—could see them win the group now.
Late goals in Slovakia overturned an early deficit as Bosnia recorded a 2-1 win just a few days after the defeat; those three points meant that the final two group games in October would determine whether Bosnia went to a World Cup automatically or not.
Last Friday's 4-1 win over Liechtenstein was routine once Dzeko had opened the scoring, but the final game in Lithuania was one of nerves, apprehension and lacking the usual final-third fluidity and end product that has become Bosnia's hallmark during qualifying.
It took until there were barely 20 minutes remaining—with Greece already winning and looking good for their own three points—for Bosnia to get the goal they desperately needed. Ibisevic took centre stage for the historic moment, netting from close range a goal that will likely never be forgotten in Bosnian footballing history.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVo_Gr8Ng6Y
The summer in Brazil yet lays ahead of the nation and the challenges they face there will be unlike anything the qualifiers has thrown at them, but in a way Bosnia have already achieved their main goal.
For the first time ever, Bosnia-Herzegovina will play at a FIFA World Cup tournament—and that, for now, for a nation not even 20 years old, is as much cause for celebration as winning the trophy itself will be for others.
Bosnia-Herzegovina Qualify for World Cup for 1st Time in History
Oct 15, 2013
Bosnia and Herzegovina clinched their first ever World Cup berth on Tuesday with a 1-0 victory over Lithuania, according to Sports Illustrated senior writer Grant Wahl on Twitter:
Vedad Ibisevic scored the match-winning goal in the 68th minute to propel the Dragons through to Brazil next summer. Despite competing since the early 1990s, Bosnia and Herzegovina have never competed at the World Cup.
That'll change in June 2014, however, thanks to a dominant performance from Safet Susic's squad over the past 13 months, which saw Bosnia and Herzegovina win eight of 10 Group G qualifying matches en route to finishing atop the group, beating out a dangerous Greece team. The Dragons only loss in Group G was a 1-0 defeat to Slovakia last month.
Given their impressive run in UEFA World Cup 2014 qualifying, Bosnia and Herzegovina must be considered a threat next summer in South America.
While there's no doubt that they benefited from a somewhat lackluster grouping, Bosnia and Herzegovina proved on the pitch that they have the talent to compete with the world's best teams.
Led by Ibisevic and Manchester City star forward Edin Dzeko, the Group G winners scored a ridiculous 30 goals over 10 matches, and conceded just six over that time. Second-place Greece managed to net just a dozen through 10 matches.
As of mid-September, Bosnia and Herzegovina were ranked No. 18 in the world by FIFA. The new world rankings will be released later this week.
The often overlooked Southeastern European country boasts a population of roughly 3.8 million as of 2012.
Follow Bleacher Report Featured Columnist Patrick Clarke on Twitter.
