Team USA advances to Round of 16 after beating Bosnia and Herzegovina
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The U.S. men’s national soccer team advances to the Round of 16 with a 2-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday night in Santa Clara, California.
This is the second time in team USA history that they have won in the knockout rounds. Their only other win was in 2002, when they beat Mexico 2-0 in the Round of 16.
Now the USMNT will return to Seattle to face Belgium, who lost 2-0 in the second half against Senegal and won in overtime in the round of 16.
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Folarin Balogun of the United States celebrates the opening goal scored during the World Cup Round of 32 football match between the United States and Bosnia on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, in Santa Clara, California, near San Francisco. (AP Photo/Eakin Howard)
Usually, when the USMNT enters the knockout stage at the World Cup, they are considered underdogs, hoping to be scrappy to upset them. This time, in the expanded tournament format starting with the Round of 32, the country on home soil was among the overwhelming favourites.
Despite the negativities in the second half, their game proved this.
It was an inauspicious start for the USMNT after Bosnia and Herzegovina secured a couple of corner kicks and goalkeeper Matt Freese, who hasn’t faced much difficulty this World Cup, had to scramble to save a goal that would have ended up in the back of the net if he didn’t clear the ball.
USA WORLD CUP STAR FOLIN BALOGUN RECEIVED A CONTESTIBLE RED CARD IN 32 MATCHES
But from there the USMNT went to work in the first half and controlled the match. It seemed like it was only a matter of time before they would score a goal, and Falorin Balogun, who had a great tournament in terms of goals, acted as a striker by receiving the pass from the ball loss and sent the ball into the net in the 29th minute.
However, the side referee threw the offside flag into the air. A replay of the video showed that Balogun was clearly at fault, and in this case there was not much discussion between head coach Mauricio Pochettino and his side.
American Folarin Balogun scored his team’s first goal, passing Bosnia and Herzegovina’s No. 1 player Nikola Vasilj, in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 match between the USA and Bosnia and Herzegovina at the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium in Santa Clara, California, on July 1, 2026. (Michael Steele/Getty Images)
Balogun had another chance in stoppage time and in this case he was offside and still lethal.
With Bosnia and Herzegovina defenders swarming everywhere, Balogun turned and swung his left foot towards the ball just inside his opponent’s penalty area, and the ball went through the goalkeeper’s legs to score the first goal of the game.
The US fans went wild and Balogun celebrated by singing praises to LeBron James and making his signature step as his teammates congratulated him on his third goal of the World Cup.
However, in the second half, there was a big moment in favor of Bosnia and Herzegovina when Balogun received a red card in the VAR review after the foul he stepped on the defender’s wrist. This was a controversial call that reduced the complexity of the game to 10 men with the USMNT and 11 men with Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Additionally, despite the hard-fought win, Balogun will have to miss the Round of 16 due to the decision, which is an obvious loss for the USA.
Malik Tillman of the United States celebrates after scoring a goal on a free kick during the World Cup round of 32 match between the United States and Bosnia on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, in Santa Clara, California, near San Francisco. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
The red card came in the 64th minute, and as FOX Sports color commentator Stu Holden said during the broadcast, the USMNT had to “suffer” to win by a one-goal margin. Although they had to defend with more determination, the USMNT still created scoring chances despite their situation.
One was called back for offside after Christian Pulisic found the back of the goal. However, Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Stjepan Radelijic held Sergiño Dest just outside the penalty area, forcing the referee to issue a yellow card and give the USMNT an A-grade opportunity to step aside in the 80th minute.
Meanwhile, Malik Tillman, the German-born son of the veteran US soldier, drilled a perfect free kick, leaping over the five-man wall in front of the net and sailing over the outstretched arms of goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj.
USA’s Folarin Balogun (20) and USA’s Christian Pulisic (10) are on standby after Balogun received a red card during the World Cup Round of 32 match between the USA and Bosnia, played on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, in Santa Clara, California, near San Francisco. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
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While this goal put the USA ahead 2-0, the momentum gained by Bosnia and Herzegovina disappeared after Balogun’s red card decision. They tried desperately to get back into the game, but the USA slammed the door to the satisfaction of the sold-out crowd at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium and the millions watching at home.
There will be tons of discussion about how the USA will deal with the loss of Balogun in the next round, but job done in this game where the home team favorites kept their title hopes alive.
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