Key takeaways:
- Folarin Balogun scored in the 45th minute but was sent off in the 64th, ruling him out of the next match against Belgium.
- Malik Tillman scored on an 81st-minute free kick to secure the United States’ 2-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina.
- The victory was the U.S. men’s second World Cup knockout win and their first since reaching the quarterfinals in 2002.
The United States reached the World Cup round of 16 with a 2-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina, surviving a second-half red card to goal scorer Folarin Balogun and securing only the second men’s World Cup knockout victory in program history.
Balogun scored in the 45th minute at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium before being sent off in the 64th after a video review determined he had landed on Tarik Muharemović’s ankle while challenging for a loose ball. The decision left the Americans down a man for the final stretch and will keep Balogun out of the next match against Belgium.
Malik Tillman eased the pressure in the 81st minute, bending a free kick from just outside the penalty area over the wall and under the crossbar to seal the win. The result sends Mauricio Pochettino’s team into a round-of-16 meeting with Belgium on Monday in Seattle. CBS News reported the match is scheduled for July 6.
The victory carries historical weight for the U.S. men. It was their first World Cup knockout win since 2002, when Bruce Arena’s team reached the quarterfinals. It also came 12 years to the day after the Americans lost to Belgium in extra time in the round of 16 at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
The match was played less than 20 miles from Stanford Stadium, where the U.S. lost 1-0 to Brazil in 1994 in what CBS News described as the first U.S. knockout round game of the modern era. This time, the Americans were favored in a World Cup knockout match for the first time on record and played before a sold-out, heavily pro-U.S. crowd that chanted “U-S-A! U-S-A!” in the closing minutes.
Bosnia and Herzegovina created the sharper early chances. Matt Freese made an awkward save after 10 minutes, then had to stretch to keep out Kerim Alajbegović’s attempt to score directly from a corner. Christian Pulisic had an early shot blocked by Stjepan Radeljić, but it was a quieter night than usual for the U.S. winger.
Balogun thought he had put the U.S. ahead in the 32nd minute after Sergiño Dest’s pressure helped create a turnover and Weston McKennie found him in behind the defense. His finish set off celebrations, but the goal was ruled out for offside. Just before halftime, the U.S. broke through. Tim Ream stepped forward to meet an under-hit clearance and played first time toward McKennie, whose dummy helped the ball reach Tillman. After a deflection and a touch under Muharemović’s foot, Balogun adjusted and finished for his third goal of the tournament.
Balogun nearly scored again in first-half stoppage time, meeting Dest’s header across goal, but his effort clipped the top of the crossbar.
Bosnia lost Edin Džeko to injury shortly after halftime, but the game turned again when referee Raphael Claus reviewed Balogun’s challenge and showed red. Bosnia pushed with more energy after gaining the man advantage, while the U.S. defense retreated and absorbed pressure. Still, the Americans continued to counter and earned the free kick that Tillman converted.
The win snapped a 10-game losing streak for the U.S. against European teams and marked their first World Cup victory over a European opponent since beating Portugal in the 2002 opener, according to CBS News. The Americans had been winless in 13 straight World Cup matches against European teams since then, including the 2014 defeat to Belgium.
Bosnia and Herzegovina’s second World Cup appearance ended after the country reached the knockout round for the first time, helped by a draw against Canada and a win over Qatar in the group stage.
Be First to Comment