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- United States knocks out Bosnia and books Round of 16 clash with Belgium
United States knocks out Bosnia and books Round of 16 clash with Belgium
The United States continued its strong FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign with a 2-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina at San Francisco Stadium, securing a place in the Round of 16, where Belgium awaits.
The United States continued its strong FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign with a 2-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina at San Francisco Stadium, securing a place in the Round of 16, where Belgium awaits.
Mauricio Pochettino's side relied on goals from Folarin Balogun and Malik Tillman to earn a victory that featured attacking quality, late drama and a costly red card.
Balogun breaks the deadlock
The United States controlled much of the first half and thought it had taken the lead midway through the opening period when Balogun finished with a powerful left-footed strike. The goal, however, was ruled out for offside.
The Monaco striker would not be denied for long.
After Tyler Adams played a vertical pass that bounced around the penalty area, Balogun reacted quickest to score the opening goal and register his third strike of the tournament.
He nearly doubled his tally before halftime, only to see his effort crash against the crossbar.
Red card changes the match
The game shifted dramatically in the 64th minute.
Balogun accidentally stepped on Tarik Muharemovic's ankle during a challenge, and after a VAR review, the referee upgraded the decision to a straight red card.
Playing with ten men, the United States was forced to defend deeper as Bosnia pushed forward in search of an equalizer.
Tillman seals qualification
Just as Bosnia appeared to be gaining momentum, Malik Tillman put the match beyond doubt.
The midfielder curled a superb free kick into the net in the 79th minute to make it 2-0 and send the home nation into the Round of 16.
Belgium next for the United States
With the victory, the United States advances to the knockout stage and will travel to Seattle to face Belgium on July 6.
Bosnia, meanwhile, bows out after achieving the best World Cup campaign in its history by reaching the knockout stage for the first time, in what could also prove to be Edin Džeko's final appearance for the national team.
