They did it the hard way. Of course they did.
The United States beat Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-0 in the Round of 32 at Levi's Stadium on Wednesday night, ending a 24-year wait for a World Cup knockout stage victory. They did it with 10 men for most of the second half. They did it by digging in, defending brilliantly, and refusing to give up a goal when it would have been very easy to fall apart.
This team does not do anything the easy way. But they do find a way.
USA 2, Bosnia and Herzegovina 0. Round of 32. Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara.
Match Snapshot
| Category | Result |
|---|---|
| Final score | USA 2, Bosnia 0 |
| USA goals | Folarin Balogun just before halftime, Malik Tillman 82' |
| Red card | Balogun off in 64' after VAR-reviewed challenge |
| USA played shorthanded | About 26 minutes plus stoppage time |
| Last knockout win | 2002 - 24 years ago |
| Next round | Round of 16 vs Belgium |
How It Happened
The USA was the better team in the first half. The starters were back, the press was organized, and Bosnia struggled to build out from the back the way Switzerland exposed them in the group stage. Balogun was electric - aggressive, sharp, the constant threat he has been all tournament.
Just before halftime, Folarin Balogun put the USA in front. Fitting. He has been the best American player at this World Cup, and his goal gave the US exactly the cushion they needed heading into the break.
Then the second half got complicated.
In the 64th minute, after a VAR review, Balogun was shown a red card for a challenge on Bosnian defender Tarik Muharemovic. No foul was called on the field, but the review determined the contact was serious enough for a sending-off. Just like that, the USA's best player was gone, and they had roughly 26 minutes plus stoppage time to hold on to a one-goal lead against a desperate Bosnia side.
They held. The backline was composed. Richards and the center back pairing stood firm. Matt Freese did not have to make many saves, but when called upon he was there.
Christian Pulisic thought he had doubled the lead in the 79th minute, only for the goal to be ruled out for offside. It felt like the kind of moment that could haunt the USA if Bosnia found one late.
Instead, Malik Tillman put the game away in the 82nd minute with a stunning free kick - a beautiful effort that curled over the wall and into the net. It gave the scoreline a comfortable look that perhaps flattered the final 20 minutes. It did not matter. Two goals, clean sheet, 10 men, advance.
The 2002 Drought Is Over
The last time the United States won a World Cup knockout game was 2002. That team beat Mexico. A generation of American soccer fans had never seen this moment.
Wednesday night, at Levi's Stadium in front of a raucous home crowd, they finally did.
This program has spent years trying to prove it belongs on this stage. Two wins in the group stage, a rough night against Turkiye that felt like a warning, and then a composed, gutsy performance against Bosnia when it mattered most. That is a team that can compete in this tournament.
What Comes Next
The Round of 16 awaits: Belgium stands between the USA and a place in the quarterfinals. That will be a significant step up in quality. But a team that just held on with 10 men in a knockout game, on the biggest stage American soccer has ever seen, has earned the right to believe.
There are also real questions to answer. Balogun is set to serve a suspension for the Round of 16 unless an appeal succeeds, meaning the USA could be without its most important attacking player against Belgium. Pochettino will need to find a way to recreate that attacking threat without him, and that is not a small ask.
The likely options are Ricardo Pepi as a true No. 9, Pulisic and Reyna carrying more of the chance creation, or a more conservative setup built around pressure and transition. None of those fully replaces Balogun's vertical running, but the USA just proved it can solve problems in real time.
But tonight is not about the next problem. Tonight is about what this team just did: 10 men, knockout game, home World Cup, 24-year drought. Done.
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