The United States men’s soccer team advanced to the knockout stage of the World Cup on Wednesday with a hard-fought 2-0 victory over Bosnia, ending a 24-year wait for a win at that stage of the tournament.
The match, played in the San Francisco Bay Area in Santa Clara, California, was a high-energy, physical affair that saw the Americans finish with just 10 men but still manage to secure the win.
Folarin Balogun opened the scoring near the end of the first half, giving the crowd-backed hosts an early advantage. However, Balogun was shown a red card after halftime for a serious foul on Tarik Muharemovic — a challenge that appeared to be accidental — leaving the U.S. a man down for the remainder of the game.
Despite the disadvantage, Malik Tillman sealed the result with a beautifully struck free kick eight minutes before the final whistle, putting the outcome beyond doubt.
The Americans had additional goals from Balogun and Christian Pulisic ruled out during the match, adding to the drama of the evening. Still, the U.S. showed plenty of quality throughout, with Pulisic returning to the lineup and making his presence felt, while Weston McKennie and Tillman also impressed.
The win snapped a 10-match losing streak for the United States against European competition and set up a round-of-16 showdown with Belgium in Seattle. Belgium earned their spot in that match by coming from two goals behind to defeat Senegal 3-2 in extra time.
