Forward Folarin Balogun scored his third goal of the World Cup on Wednesday against Bosnia and Herzegovina, but also received a red card in the Round of 32 match. File Photo by Christian Brunskill/UPI | License Photo
Folarin Balogun manufactured seismic shifts like the nearby rumbling fault lines, fueling momentum before nearly sparking disaster, as a shorthanded United States Men’s National Team held off Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday for their first World Cup knockout stage win in 24 years.
The star striker drew first blood in the 45th minute of the 2-0 Round of 32 victory in Santa Clara, Calif. But his 64th minute red card forced the United States to play a man down for more than a half hour to end the game.
An 82nd-minute free kick from midfielder Malik Tillman provided breathing room for the gritty Americans, who will take on Belgium on Monday in the Round of 16. Balogun, the Americans’ top scorer, is now ineligible for that match.
“We had to dig deep for that one,” forward Christian Pulisic said on the Fox broadcast.
The No. 15 Americans outshot their No. 59 foes 10-8, but placed just two on target in their first knockout stage victory since 2002. The Bosnians also held a 52% to 48% advantage in possession.
“It takes a lot,” Pulisic said. “The guys really had to dig deep. It didn’t go exactly to plan, with the red card, but that just shows what a good team we are.”
The Bosnian defense strangled the American attack early on, crowding the midfield and box to evaporate fluidity. Meanwhile, their counterattack exploited voids in transition, but couldn’t convert against goalie Matt Freese, who totaled a trio of key saves.
Balogun appeared to put the Americans ahead in the 32nd minute, but that score was disallowed due to an offside call.
He redeemed himself by officially lighting up the scoreboard just before halftime. That play started with goalie Nikola Vasilj punting directly to center back Tim Ream. The U.S. captain smacked a pass to midfielder Tyler Adams, who flicked a feed to Tillman.
Tillman sent the ball ahead, where it bounced up to Balogun. The star striker danced around defenders and finished the play with a shot through Vasilj’s legs.
The Americans nearly doubled their lead several times early on in the second half, including a 53rd-minute attempt off the crossbar.
Disaster struck less than 10 minutes later.
Balogun was issued a red card for a challenge on Bosnian center back Tarik Muharemovic. That infraction, prompted by Balogun landing his right boot on Muharemovic’s right ankle, forced the Americans to play with 10 men against their foes’ 11 for the remainder of the match.
But the U.S. men remained composed, spoiling Bosnian chances while continuing to threaten offensively. Pulisic had a goal disallowed in the 78th minute due to another offside call. Tillman then stepped up and curled his free kick into the left side of the net, effectively securing the victory.
“You never know when it’s going to happen,” Tillman said. “Luckily, today, it happened, and I was ready for it.”
With Wednesday’s performance, Balogun became the first player to score and receive a red card in the same knockout stage game since France’s Zinedine Zidane in 2006.
The United States’ three wins at the tournament are their most ever at a World Cup. They will meet the No. 9 Belgians in the Round of 16 at 8 p.m. Monday at Seattle Stadium.
“I’m so proud,” United States coach Mauricio Pochettino said. “The players deserve everything, knowing we competed against a very good team, a very difficult team.
“I’m so proud of all of my players and the staff and the fans have been amazing.”
The winner of the United States-Belgium match will face the winner of the Spain-Austria Round of 32 match or the Croatia-Portugal meeting in the quarterfinals.
No. 3 Spain will meet No. 23 Austria in the Round of 32 at 3 p.m. Thursday in Inglewood, Calif. No. 13 Croatia will take on No. 8 Portugal at 7 p.m. Thursday in Toronto.
Fans go all out in support at the 2026 FIFA World Cup
Fans of Team Japan show their support before the start of a FIFA World Cup match against Brazil in Houston on June 29, 2026. Photo by Christian Brunskill/UPI | License Photo
