Bosnia and Herzegovina captain Edin Džeko has signed his name FIFA World Cup record even as his team faced the United States in their Round of 32 clash, becoming the oldest player to start a World Cup knock-out game.At the age of 40 years and 106 days, the veteran player surpassed any previous player to enter the knockout stage, becoming the first player aged 40 or over to enter the World Cup.However, the event may be one of the shortest in the history of the race. If Luka Modric (40 years, 296 days) starts in Croatia or Cristiano Ronaldo (41 years, 147 days) was named in Portugal’s starting line-up for their Round of 32 match in Vancouver, any veteran would eclipse Džeko’s record within 24 hours.The historic evening, however, took a bitter turn at the start of the second half.Five minutes after the restart, Bosnia briefly gave up the ball when Džeko went down clutching his leg following what appeared to be a non-contact injury. The inspirational captain was unable to continue and was replaced, which sadly ended his legendary form.The United States took a 1-0 lead thanks to Folarin Balogun’s first-half strike. The striker was quick to pounce on a curling ball inside the penalty area to score his third goal of the tournament and give the hosts a chance to close the gap.The match took a turn for the worse, with Balogun shown a straight red card after a VAR review, reducing the United States to 10 men in the final half of regulation time. The relegation has given Bosnia new hope as they push for a one-goal lead against a team focused on defending their slender lead.Regardless of the final result, Dzeko’s appearance has already earned his place in the history books of the World Cup – although the victory may last a day if Modric or Ronaldo start for their countries.
