Final Scoreline for Match 41:
BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA - 3
(Dzeko 23', Pjanic 59', Vrsajevic 83')
IRAN - 1
(Ghoochannejhad 82')
Iran needed to win, and win big, to equal Nigeria on points and have a better goal difference. Instead, it was Bosnia & Herzegovina who played the party spoilsport by being the aggressor throughout the game and keeping Iran on their toes.
First goal came in the 23rd minute and Iran went into the half-time break trailing 0-1, and when the second goal happened with a little over 30 minutes on the counter, Iran was all but out. They needed at least 4 goals, but were thwarted by the Bosnian defense. A very late Iranian goal seemed to down the deficit somehow, but the immediate Bosnian goal back within a minute sealed Iran's fate.
Consolation win for Bosnia & Herzegovina who were already out, and they take Iran home with them.
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Final Scoreline for Match 42:
NIGERIA - 2
(Musa 4', 47')
ARGENTINA - 3
(Messi 3', 46', Rojo 50')
All Nigeria needed from their final match was a draw to keep Iran out, and the game started in spectacular fashion.
Lionel Messi thundered in a ball in the 3rd minute itself, and Nigeria's Musa pulled one back on the break in the 4th minute itself, both goals scored within 80 seconds of each other. It was the first time in World Cup history that both teams scored a goal each within the first 5 minutes, and so this match went down into the record books.
When Messi got another one in just seconds before the half time whistle, it seemed like the second half will have plenty of more action in store. Musa thundered one back into the Argentinian goal to make it 2-2, as both teams were not relenting even one bit from each other. Marcus Rojo headed in the 3rd for Argentina to take the lead again, and the attacking soccer by both teams continued till around the 60th minute. News of B&H leading 2-0 over Iran must have filtered down here then, because Lionel Messi was immediately substituted and Argentina looked like pulling their shutters down from then onwards. Nigeria kept at it for a while, but both teams looked content from the final result, and although it ended as a loss for Nigeria, both teams secured places in the Round of 16.
Spectacular match, if only the attacking had continued for the entire duration. Special mention must be made of the Nigerian keeper for keeping plenty of Argentinian thunders out, else the score would have been much worse than it actually ended with.
Finally Argentina found their toes and are looking ominous with Messi in really dangerous form. If they continue like this, they should be real contenders for the title.