The United States progressed to the knockout stage of the World Cup with a gritty 2-0 victory over Bosnia-Herzegovina despite having to finish the play with 10 men on the pitch, Yankee Scores reports.
Hosts playing in San Francisco Bay Area Stadium went ahead in the first half through Folarin Balogun, with his effort counting as his third of the competition after an earlier one was disallowed.
FOUND A WAY THROUGH! 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/bZBjTcZyW2
— U.S. Soccer Men’s National Team (@USMNT) July 2, 2026
For long moments, the USMNT was in control against a Bosnian side famed for sitting back and countering.
Things got dramatic when Balogun was sent off, forcing the Americans to play the last half hour a man down.
Bosnia and Herzegovina pressed for an equalizer, but could not break down a shorthanded USMNT defense.
Christian Pulisic also had a second-half goal called out for offside.
Malik Tillman made it 2-0 with a looping free kick in the 82nd minute to send the USMNT through to the round of 16 to meet Belgium.
The victory was a huge milestone for the team. Before Wednesday’s game, the Americans had been without a World Cup knockout-stage win for 24 years, per Yahoo Sports
That drought was finally broken in front of a home crowd.
Bosnia and Herzegovina, in only their second World Cup, are out having reached the Round of 32.
The Dragons booked their position with a series of impressive performances in the group stage, capped with a 3-1 victory against Qatar on the penultimate day of group play.
Now, Balogun will miss the meeting with Belgium through suspension, a blow for Mauricio Pochettino’s team as they go deeper into the tournament on home soil.
