USA advances in World Cup after controversial red card vs Bosnia and Herzegovina

The United States men’s nationalist shot squad is heading to the Round of 16, defeating Bosnia and Herzegovina, 2-0, connected Wednesday nighttime successful Santa Clara, California. 

It’s conscionable the 2nd clip successful Team USA past that they won successful the knockout stages. Their lone different came successful 2002 erstwhile they bushed Mexico, 2-0, successful the Round of 16.

Now, the USMNT volition caput backmost to Seattle to look Belgium, who came backmost from a 2-0 shortage against Senegal successful the 2nd fractional to triumph successful other time, successful the Round of 16. 

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United States' Folarin Balogun celebrates aft scoring the opening extremity during the World Cup Round of 32 shot lucifer betwixt the United States and Bosnia successful Santa Clara, Calif., adjacent San Francisco, Wednesday, July 1, 2026.  (AP Photo/Eakin Howard)

Usually, erstwhile the USMNT enters the knockout signifier successful the World Cup, they’re considered the underdogs, hoping to beryllium scrappy to unit an upset. This clip around, successful an expanded tourney format that begins with a Round of 32, the state connected location ungraded was the overwhelming favorites. 

Their play proved why, adjacent successful the look of adversity successful the 2nd half. 

It was an inauspicious commencement for the USMNT aft Bosnia and Herzegovina secured a mates country kicks, and goalkeeper Matt Freese, who hasn’t truly been challenged overmuch successful this World Cup, had to scramble to prevention 1 that was destined for the backmost of the nett if helium didn’t punch it away. 

USA WORLD CUP STAR FOLARIN BALOGUN RECEIVES CONTROVERSIAL RED CARD DURING ROUND OF 32 MATCH

From there, though, the USMNT got to enactment successful the archetypal half, and controlled the match. It seemed similar it was lone a substance of clip earlier they scored, and Falorin Balogun, who has had a tremendous tourney successful presumption of extremity scoring, did helium striker occupation erstwhile helium received a walk connected a turnover and enactment it successful the backmost of the nett successful the 29th minute. 

However, the sideline referee threw his emblem successful the aerial – offsides. Video replay showed Balogun was intelligibly off, and determination wasn’t overmuch statement from caput manager Mauricio Pochettino and his sideline unit either successful this case. 

Folarin Balogun of the United States scores his team's archetypal extremity past Nikola Vasilj #1 of Bosnia and Herzegovina during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 lucifer betwixt USA and Bosnia and Herzegovina astatine San Francisco Bay Area Stadium connected July 1, 2026 successful Santa Clara, California. (Michael Steele/Getty Images)

Balogun got different accidental successful stoppage time, and successful this instance, helium was onside and inactive lethal. 

With Bosnia and Herzegovina defenders draped each implicit him, Balogun turned and swung his near ft into the shot conscionable wrong his opponent’s container and it slipped done the goalkeeper’s legs for the archetypal extremity of the match. 

The U.S.-heavy assemblage went into a frenzy, and Balogun celebrated with an ode to LeBron James, doing his signature stepping determination arsenic his teammates congratulated him connected his 3rd extremity astatine the World Cup. 

But the 2nd fractional saw a monolithic infinitesimal hap successful favour of Bosnia and Herzegovina erstwhile Balogun was called for a reddish paper aft VAR reappraisal determined truthful pursuing a foul wherever helium stepped connected a defender’s ankle. It was a arguable telephone that changed the complexity of the crippled with the USMNT down to 10 men to Bosnia and Herzegovina’s 11. 

Also, contempt the hard-fought win, Balogun volition person to miss the Round of 16 owed to the decision, which is an evident nonaccomplishment for the U.S. 

United States' Malik Tillman celebrates aft scoring connected a escaped footwear during the World Cup circular of 32 shot lucifer betwixt the United States and Bosnia successful Santa Clara, Calif., adjacent San Francisco, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

The reddish paper came successful the 64th minute, and the USMNT had to "suffer," arsenic FOX Sports colour commentator Stu Holden said during the broadcast, to propulsion retired a triumph with a one-goal lead. While they had to support with much tenacity, the USMNT inactive created chances to people contempt their situation. 

One was called backmost erstwhile Christian Pulisic recovered the backmost of the net, but was offsides. But Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Stjepan Radelijic held backmost Sergiño Dest conscionable extracurricular the box, forcing the referee to propulsion retired a yellowish paper and springiness the USMNT a grade-A accidental to propulsion distant a spot successful the 80th minute. 

Enter Malik Tillman, the German-born lad of a U.S. subject veteran, who had the cleanable escaped kick, dipping implicit the five-man partition successful beforehand of the nett and going past the outstretched arms of goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj. 

United States' Folarin Balogun (20) and United States' Christian Pulisic (10) basal by aft Balogun received a reddish paper during the World Cup circular of 32 shot lucifer betwixt the United States and Bosnia successful Santa Clara, Calif., adjacent San Francisco, Wednesday, July 1, 2026.  (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

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The extremity enactment the U.S. up 2-0, and the momentum Bosnia and Herzegovina had pursuing Balogun’s reddish paper decision, was wiped out. They had desperation attempts to get backmost into the match, but the U.S. slammed the doorway unopen to the restitution of the sold-out assemblage astatine San Francisco Bay Area Stadium and the millions watching astatine home. 

There volition beryllium tons of statement astir however the U.S. deals with the nonaccomplishment of Balogun successful the adjacent round, but the occupation got done successful this lucifer wherever the home-country favorites kept their rubric hopes alive.  

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