Bosnia & Herzegovina head coach Barbarez 'proud of team' despite World Cup exit

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/bosnia-herzegovina/fqe7WYTr/"]Bosnia & Herzegovina[/a] lost 2-0 to the co-hosts in the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/bosnia-herzegovina-fqe7WYTr/usa-fuitL4CF/?mid=A1Jughll"]round of 32 in the San Francisco Bay Are[/a]a, in their first-ever World Cup knockout-round appearance.[/p][p]Bosnia drew with co-hosts [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/canada/x4toKORL/"]Canada[/a], beat [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/qatar/zqzHL77i/"]Qatar[/a], and lost to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/switzerland/rHJ2vy1B/"]Switzerland[/a] in the group stage after reaching the 48-team World Cup via the playoffs, denying former champions [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/italy/hlKvieGH/"]Italy[/a] a spot.[/p][p][b]"I was really proud ​of them,"[/b] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/barbarez-sergej/xv3YWYid/"]Barbarez[/a] said of his team. [b]"This is the result that we should celebrate, ⁠we shouldn't be ​sad, because this is part of life, part of football, especially in a big competition like this."[/b][/p][image alt="Match stats" id="ea1ab674-9107-4ab0-8b9f-939c26ac8430" credit-line="StatsPerform via Opta" guid="d7a2a444-fe32-4ec6-8653-637f67113735" original-width="1080" original-height="1080" /][p]The game with the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/usa/fuitL4CF/"]‌United States[/a] was challenging, he said, and his team made costly mistakes, failed to create chances or make use of the ball.[/p][p]Barbarez said he was looking forward to the team returning home to meet the people, adding: "Video messages are nice and great, phone calls are great, but ‌being among people, only then will ​we understand how good this is, how ‌big this."[/p][p][b]"Although we were down two goals, my heart was really full when I was watching them,"[/b] he said. "[b]This is really a beautiful thing, and I'm ⁠the proudest coach ⁠in the world ‌right now."[/b][/p][infobox id="4ccc1b10-d68f-4c97-bcf4-5e613c17c2e3" /]