Switzerland found another gear when it mattered most.

After struggling to break down Bosnia-Herzegovina for more than an hour, the Swiss transformed a frustrating stalemate into a convincing 4-1 victory on Thursday in Los Angeles, with substitute forwards Johan Manzambi and Ruben Vargas providing the spark.

The win moved Switzerland to the top of Group B with four points and placed them in a strong position to advance to the knockout stage.

But the scoreline did not reflect the difficulty of the contest, at least not until the final 20 minutes.

A tactical battle until the final stretch

The match at SoFi Stadium began as a cautious affair, with both sides struggling to create clear opportunities.

Switzerland enjoyed more possession and looked the more organized team early, with experienced midfielders Granit Xhaka and Remo Freuler controlling the tempo and attempting to unlock Bosnia’s defense.

Their attacking plans often focused on the left side, where they tried to release Dan Ndoye into dangerous areas.

However, promising moves repeatedly ended with inaccurate crosses or missed chances.

Bosnia gradually grew into the match after a slow start, encouraged by the presence of veteran striker Edin Dzeko.

Dzeko leads Bosnia’s response

Dzeko provided Bosnia’s first major threat in the 32nd minute.

The experienced striker created space and cleverly shifted the ball across the six-yard box toward Benjamin Tahirovic, but the chance disappeared when Tahirovic could not make the decisive connection.

The second half produced more urgency from Switzerland.

Ndoye nearly delivered a spectacular breakthrough when he launched himself into a bicycle kick attempt after meeting a cross from Xhaka.

The effort was heading toward the target, but goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj reacted quickly to push it over the bar.

Bosnia continued to battle, but frustration began to show.

Dzeko received a yellow card after a heavy challenge on Manuel Akanji and was later substituted as Switzerland continued searching for an opening.

Yakin’s changes rewrite the match

The turning point arrived in the 72nd minute.

Swiss coach Murat Yakin made three substitutions, and two of those changes immediately altered the flow of the match.

Just two minutes later, the substitutes combined to break the deadlock.

A failed Bosnia clearance following a Vargas cross dropped perfectly for Manzambi, who made an instant impact by smashing a volley into the net with his first touch.

The goal completely changed the atmosphere.

Substitute duo takes over

Manzambi quickly shifted from scorer to creator.

He set up Vargas, who finished clinically to double Switzerland’s advantage and put Bosnia under severe pressure.

The situation became even more difficult for Bosnia when Tarik Muharemovic was shown a red card after a desperate sliding challenge on Breel Embolo, who was racing clear toward goal.

Reduced to 10 players, Bosnia struggled to contain Switzerland’s late attacking wave.

Late goals complete the rout

Vargas continued to influence the match, assisting Manzambi for another goal as the 20-year-old Freiburg attacker completed a memorable performance.

Bosnia did find a moment of pride when Ermin Mamhic scored a spectacular consolation goal from a corner kick, giving the supporters something to celebrate.

But Switzerland had the final word.

In stoppage time, Xhaka calmly converted a penalty to complete the 4-1 victory.

Switzerland moves into pole position

The result lifted Switzerland to first place in Group B with four points, three ahead of the remaining teams before Canada and Qatar faced each other later.

For Bosnia-Herzegovina, the defeat was a painful reminder of how quickly matches can change at the highest level.

For Switzerland, it was proof of the value of depth, patience, and timely decisions.

A quiet afternoon became a statement victory, and Manzambi and Vargas became the unlikely heroes who changed everything.