The U.S. national team lived up to the standards set by the other two hosts of the 2026 World Cup and advanced to the Round of 16 after defeating Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-0.
In a tough match against an opponent that fought hard across every area of the field, the Americans managed to take the lead in the first half after Folarin Balogun scored in the 45th minute, just before halftime.
Balogun capitalized on a mistake by the Bosnian defense to find himself one-on-one with the goalkeeper and finish for a 1-0 lead, celebrating in the style of LeBron James.
At the start of the second half, Bosnia needed to attack, while the Americans focused on withstanding their opponent’s attacks—which were truly physically demanding—on the field at Santa Clara Stadium, which looked impeccable and had a first-class atmosphere.
Things got complicated for Mauricio Pochettino’s team when Balogun himself became the villain by committing a foul in midfield that was ruled, after a VAR review, a straight red card.
Down a man, Team USA tried to maintain possession and thwart Bosnian attacks, and near the end of the match, the Americans were awarded a free kick just outside the box. Malik Tillman executed it brilliantly to seal the 2-0 victory.
The United States returns to the Round of 16, a goal they achieved in 2022, where they were eliminated by the Netherlands. On Monday, July 6, in Seattle, they will face Belgium at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time in pursuit of a spot in the quarterfinals—a feat they haven’t achieved since 2002, at the Korea-Japan World Cup.
