Bosnia and Herzegovina 1 - Lithuania 0; Greece 2 - Liechtenstein 0; Latvia 2 - Slovakia 2

Photo by Petras Malukas

Greece were at home in Piraeus against Liechtenstein.  Greece needed to manage a better result than Bosnia and Herzegovina today or else they would be consigned to the European playoffs.  Greece did their part early on in the proceedings.  Jose Holebas played a ball to Georgios Samaras, who did a back heel into the path of Holebas's run.  Holebas played a long rolling cross to the back post that Dimitrios Salpingidis banged into the net for 1-0.  The visitors were no pushovers today, however.  Sandro Wieser had a nice one-bounce effort parried away for a corner kick by Greece goalkeeper Orestis Karnezis.  Liechtenstein had legitimate appeals for a handball in the box against Greece turned away on the resulting corner kick play.  Salpingidis came close to a second goal, but his powerful effort was just wide.  Greece were ahead 1-0 going into their locker room.

Liechtenstein were fouling the Greeks in dangerous spots on the pitch in the second half, and finally they were made to pay with ten minutes left in the match.  Georgios Karagounis struck a twenty-five yard kick off the upright and in to double the lead for the hosts.  Greece ease to a 2-0 victory and hope for help from Lithuania at the end of their match.

Bosnia were in Kaunas to take on Lithuania.  A Bosnia victory would guarantee them a spot in Brasil 2014 barring an unthinkable barrage of Greek goals in another Group G match today.  Miralem Pjanic hit a dipping free kick that looked like it would put the visitors ahead, but Lithuania goalkeeper Giederius Arlauskas was looking to single-handedly steal a point for his side on this night.  This was the first Arlauskas intervention of many.  However, midway through the period, Mindaugas Kalonas hit a nifty ball off a half volley that drew a save from Bosnia goalkeeper Asmir Begovic.  Soon thereafter, Pjanic hit a dipping free kick to the other side of Arlauskas, but the change of side did not change the result: a diving save.

A miraculous save by Arlauskas off Vedad Ibisevic's low drive to the corner prevented Bosnia from an opener.  Midway through the second half, Bosnia were desperate to score and to ease their anxiety.  Edin Dzeko got to the endline, from where his pass across the face of goal was pushed home from four yards by a wide open Ibisevic, and finally Bosnia were in position to go to the FIFA World Cup finals for the first time.  It was Bosnia's eighteenth shot on goal in the match.  With the crowd overwhelmingly supporting Bosnia, it appeared only a matter of time before the final whistle marked the beginning of a mass celebration.  Bosnia hold on for a 1-0 victory that sends them to a FIFA World Cup finals for the first time in their history.  Greece are relegated to the playoffs.

Latvia closed Group G play at home in Riga against visiting Slovakia.  An early Tomas Kona corner kick was flicked on into the goal by Martin Jakubko to give Slovakia the opening goal.  One minute later, Latvia responded with a bounce header from six yards out by Valerijs Sabala, but an acrobatic save from Slovakia goalkeeper Matus Kozacik was enough to tip the effort over the bar.  Slovakia extended their lead within seven minutes through another Kona corner kick play.  The ball was flicked on at the near post, either by teammate Kornel Salata as credited or by his Latvian marker Andrejs Kovalovs.  Either way, it was 2-0 to Slovakia.  The visitors maintained that 2-0 scoreline through halftime.

Latvia pipped a goal back in the first minute of the second half.  A header was won by Eduards Visnakovs, and the ball rolled into a through ball of sorts for Sabala, who drove twenty yards before releasing his shot from the half circle.  The ball rolled into the net to bring the score to 2-1 on the back of Sabala's first international goal.  In stoppage time, a third goal was scored from the same corner of the pitch.  A corner from Arturs Zjuzins found the bandaged head of Kaspars Gorkss.  The header fell inside the six-yard box and was pushed home for the late equalizer by Renars Rode.  The match ends as a very entertaining 2-2 draw.

Bosnia 25 pts +24 IN
Greece 25 pts +8
Slovakia OUT
Lithuania OUT
Latvia OUT
Liechtenstein OUT

Goals
Greece
Dimitrios Salpingidis 7
Georgios Karagounis 81

Bosnia and Herzegovina
Vedad Ibisevic 68

Slovakia
Martin Jakubko 9
Kornel Salata 16

Latvia
Valerjis Sabala 47
Renars Rode 90+2

Match Reports:
http://www1.skysports.com/football/live/match/253688/report
http://soccer.si.com/2013/10/15/bosnia-herzegovina-qualifies-first-world-cup/
http://www.theguardian.com/football/2013/oct/15/bosnia-lithuania-world-cup-qualifier
http://www1.skysports.com/football/live/match/253690

Highlights:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzNRAs2-sCg (Greece v. Liechtenstein)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jot9Y4JZqag (Bosnia v. Lithuania)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFEyf67Reps (Latvia v. Slovakia)

Full Match Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZz5bXEHF58 (Bosnia v. Lithuania)