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Bosnia dealt tough World Cup loss to Switzerland: 'We will not whine now'
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- Bosnia dealt tough World Cup loss to Switzerland: 'We will not whine now'
INGLEWOOD, CA — A match that was seemingly trending toward a scoreless draw quickly turned into mayhem after the second-half hydration break.
Switzerland 's Johan Manzambi scored in the 74th minute, then six minutes later, Bosnia and Herzegovina 's Tarik Muharemović earned a red card after taking down Breel Embolo as the Swiss striker was making a run toward goal. It was a massive turning point in the World Cup match. With Bosnia and Herzegovina down to 10 men, the match shifted into hyperdrive.
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Switzerland scored three more goals and Bosnia and Herzegovina were dealt a demoralizing 4-1 defeat in front of their boisterous fans at SoFi Stadium.
"I don't like self pity and entered the dressing room and told (the players) they have one hour to cheer up, to lift their heads up," Bosnia and Herzegovina coach Sergej Barbarez said through the FIFA translator. "Life moves on and we will not whine now."
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The bummer for Bosnia and Herzegovina moving forward is that Muharemović will be suspended for the team's crucial group stage closer against Qatar on June 24 in Seattle. A win could push Bosnia and Herzegovina through to the World Cup knockout stages for the first time in its history.
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"The match … it is hurtful, it is quite painful," Barbarez said. "But this is my job, and trust me I will make sure they are fine ahead of the next game and remedy what happened. Turns out our last game is our most important one."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Bosnia coach has stern message for players after World Cup loss
