The United States men's national soccer team has advanced to the Round of 16 in the World Cup, defeating Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-0 on Wednesday night. This marks the second time in the team's history that they have won a knockout stage match, with the only previous instance occurring in 2002.
Team USA will now face Belgium in Seattle for a spot in the next round. Belgium advanced after overcoming a 2-0 deficit against Senegal in extra time.
In an expanded tournament format that now begins with a Round of 32, the U.S. entered the match as favorites on home soil. Despite an early challenge from Bosnia and Herzegovina that required a save from goalkeeper Matt Freese, the U.S. controlled the first half. Folarin Balogun opened the scoring in the 29th minute, but the goal was initially disallowed for offside upon review.
Balogun found the net again in stoppage time, onside this time. With defenders close, he scored his third goal of the tournament, putting the U.S. ahead 1-0. The goal drew a celebration reminiscent of LeBron James.
Controversy in Second Half
The match took a significant turn in the 64th minute when Balogun received a red card following a VAR review for a foul where he stepped on an opponent's ankle. The controversial call left the U.S. with 10 players against Bosnia and Herzegovina's 11 and will force Balogun to miss the Round of 16 match.
Despite playing a man down, the U.S. continued to create chances. Christian Pulisic scored a goal that was also called back for offside. However, in the 80th minute, after Sergiño Dest drew a foul outside the box, Malik Tillman converted the resulting free kick. The shot curved over the wall and past the goalkeeper, extending the U.S. lead to 2-0.
The late goal effectively sealed the victory and dampened any momentum Bosnia and Herzegovina had gained after Balogun's red card. The U.S. defense held firm to secure the win before a sold-out crowd.
While the team advances, questions remain about how the U.S. will manage without Balogun for the next round. Nevertheless, the team has kept their World Cup title hopes alive.