FOLARIN Balogun scored the opener but was controversially sent off as the United States booked their place in the World Cup last 16 with a 2-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina in Santa Clara.
The co-hosts’ first World Cup knockout victory in nearly a quarter-century — and only their second ever — sets up a tantalising clash with Belgium in Seattle next week.
Balogun’s strike on the stroke of half-time sent the 30 million Americans expected to be watching across the nation into delirium. But the striker saw red deep into the second half after VAR intervened following a nasty collision with Bosnia’s Tarik Muharemovic.
Yet even with the USA forced into a ten-man rearguard action, Malik Tillman curled in a sublime free-kick to seal the win and send the San Francisco Bay Area crowd into raptures.
‘We Are A Family’
“The guys had to dig in deep. It didn’t go exactly to plan with the red card, but that just shows what a good team we are,” said US forward Christian Pulisic.
US supporters had flocked to the stadium in festive mood, their exuberant confidence summed up by the traditional pre-match fighter jet flyover in the bright California skies.
Bosnia’s tactics were made clear from the kick-off — an immediate long ball — while the US defence quickly camped out on the halfway line. The European side had the best early chances, with forty-year-old captain Edin Dzeko holding up a launched pass and laying it off for Ermedin Demirovic, who shot straight at Matt Freese.
US pressure began to tell as Balogun had a decent penalty shout for a clumsy Amar Dedic tackle waved away, before having a goal ruled out for offside. The crowd’s nerves were soon soothed when Balogun scored in the 45th minute. US captain Tim Ream intercepted a Bosnian goal-kick and played it swiftly to Tillman, whose through-ball deflected into the path of Balogun to tuck away.
Red Card Drama
Early in the second half, Dzeko limped off and Bosnian coach Sergej Barbarez made a triple substitution. A younger, more mobile front line — featuring US-raised Esmir Bajraktarevic — immediately pressed higher and faster.
In the 64th minute, Balogun was shown a straight red after a VAR review harshly judged him to have stamped on Muharemovic’s foot.
US coach Mauricio Pochettino used the hydration break to gather his squad on the field and rally his outnumbered troops.
“We need to show that we are a team, that we are united,” the Argentine later recounted telling his players. “That was the moment to show to everyone, and to show ourselves, that it is not only an empty word when we say that we are a ‘family’.”
Despite being on the back foot, Pulisic had the ball in the net but was ruled offside. However, in the 82nd minute, the US won a free-kick on the edge of the Bosnian box. Tillman curled it over the wall and past Nikola Vasilj, whose fingertips could not keep it out.
Historic Win
The Americans rode out a nervy ten minutes of stoppage time, with substitute Ermin Mahmic’s shot flashing inches wide. But they ultimately sealed a historic win, keeping alive their World Cup journey on home soil, as “USA” chants and “Take Me Home, Country Roads” reverberated around the arena that hosted this year’s Super Bowl.
“I’m feeling so proud about the team. Very proud,” said Pochettino. “No easy game in the World Cup — you cannot find an easy game — and I think today, in the way that we played, it is not only the victory. It’s the way that we earned the victory that is so important.”
For Bosnia, disappointment was mixed with pride in having reached the World Cup knockouts for the first time in their history.
“I told them in the locker room, this is a result that we should celebrate,” said Barbarez.
