It never seems to be easy inside the drama that is the USA World Cup experience, and Wednesday night’s Round of 32 clash in Santa Clara against Bosnia & Herzegovina was no different. Perhaps in those past circumstances, they would have crashed out of the tournament. But this 2026 World Cup on home soil, under Mauricio Pochettino, with this generation of stars, is different.
Despite having to play the final 36 minutes down a man after Folarin Balogun was shown a red card, the USMNT extended a lead that was initially delivered by Balogun on the stroke of halftime, thanks to a brilliant Malik Tillman free kick in the 82nd minute to clinch a 2-0 victory and a place in the Round of 16 against Belgium on July 6.
With the nervy result comes the tumbling of a multitude of American droughts. They won a knockout-stage game at the World Cup for the first time since defeating Mexico in the Round of 16 back in 2002. It is also the first time they have beaten a European nation at the World Cup since shocking Portugal in the group stage 24 years ago.
The USMNT had also been on a significant slide against European nations as of late, losing each of its last 10 matches against UEFA opposition.
If not for Balogun, despite the red card, the US would never have been in this position to hold a lead over the Bosnians, as he scored the opening goal in the 45th minute. Malik Tillman’s through ball was deflected by a sliding Bosnian defender and into the path of Balogun at the top of the box. The striker had to hit the brakes to get his left foot on it, and he did so perfectly, nutmegging goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj to put the Stars & Stripes ahead.
Balogun tied the American record for most goals at a single World Cup with his third, but realistically could have had a hat trick in the first half on Wednesday night. He had a goal disallowed because he was offside in the 31st minute, then got on the end of a breathtaking US move in the eighth minute of stoppage time, which saw Tyler Adams dink a ball to Sergino Dest. He quickly found Balogun, but the bouncing cross hit off the inside of his leg and floated off the crossbar.
Even in the US triumph, spare a moment for Edin Dzeko, the 40-year-old striker and the greatest Bosnian soccer player ever, who pulled up lame five minutes into the second half with an apparent right leg injury and was forced to depart.
Disaster for the co-hosts struck in the 64th minute when Balogun was shown a red card after Brazilian referee Raphael Claus, following a VAR check, deemed an incident to be violent conduct following a stumble down the right leg and ankle of Tarik Muharemovic.
It appeared to be nothing more than incidental contact, albeit unfortunate, as the defender went down in agony. He was able to play on, and the US had to batten down the hatches for the final 30 minutes.
Christian Pulisic had a goal wiped off the board because he was deemed offside in the 79th minute, which surely would have put the match away, though the statement of positive intent confirmed Pochettino’s confidence in his team to stay aggressive despite playing shorthanded.
It paid off a minute later when Dest was pulled back just outside the Bosnian box for a free kick in dangerous territory, setting the stage for Tillman’s sublime free kick, which, from 19 yards, saw him get a shot over the Bosnia wall and down on goal. It hit the hand of a diving Vasilj and fell into the back of the net.
It is the first World Cup goal for the 24-year-old Bayer Leverkusen midfielder, the son of an American serviceman born in Germany, and the latest hero of a bourgeoning soccer nation.
For more on the USA World Cup journey, visit AMNY.com
