World Cup 2006

Qualifying match

Bosnia Herzegovina 1 - Spain 1

Bosnia: Hasagic; Salihamidzic, Spahic, Bajic, Music; Misimovic, Grujic (Krekez 68'), Beslija, Barbarez; Baljic (Blatnjak 62'), Bolic (Halilovic 83'). 4-4-2.
Spain: Casillas; Salgado, Puyol, Iván Helguera, Romero; Víctor (Morientes 50'), Albelda (Xabi Alonso 71'), Baraja (Valerón 58'); Vicente; Raúl, Reyes. 4-4-2.

Goals:
0-1. 66. Vicente. Cut in from right wing and struck shot past keeper.
1-1. 74. Bolic. Ran on to through ball to chip shot over Casillas.

Spain opened their World Cup qualifying campaign with a disappointing 1-1 draw in Bosnia. Luis Aragonés's side struggled to get going in the hostile Zeneca stadium, and were almost caught out in the first minute when Baljic shot over the bar. Casillas had to beat away another shot from the ex Real Madrid forward later in the half, and local keeper Hasagic was only in action when he came out of his area to head clear with Reyes charging down a long ball.

The Spaniards did start the second half better though, with Raúl hitting the bar in the first minute after the restart. Aragonés went for broke bringing on Morientes and Valerón to join Raúl and Reyes in a four man attack, but it was Vicente who put them in front with a shot which took a slight deflection off a defender midway through the half. Spain's concerns about the stadium were confirmed though when Valerón was hit by a metal object thrown from the crowd as the players were celebrating the goal, the Deportivo midfielder having to leave the field for a few minutes to have a cut on the head bandaged up.

Bosnia were putting up a good fight though, and a mistake by third substitute Xabi Alonso let through Bolic to level the scores, the ex Rayo striker chipping the ball past the advancing Casillas. Still Spain could have won it in the end, with Morientes setting up Vicente for him to shoot over the top and then shooting just past the post himself, and Romero heading another effort wide. But in the end they had to be happy with a point, which given the circumstances was not such a bad result.