The United States men's national team advanced to the World Cup Round of 16 on Wednesday night, beating Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-0 in Santa Clara, California, despite playing more than half an hour with ten men.
Folarin Balogun opened the scoring in first-half stoppage time, notching his third goal of the tournament, before he was sent off in the 64th minute after a VAR review determined he had stepped on Bosnian defender Tarik Muharemovic's leg. Malik Tillman sealed the win with a free kick in the 82nd minute.
Head coach Mauricio Pochettino defended his player after the match, rejecting the referee's decision. "For me, never is it a red card," Pochettino said, adding there was no intent to injure the opponent. Midfielder Weston McKennie echoed the frustration, noting similar challenges elsewhere in the tournament went unpunished and calling the decision "disappointing."
The win carries historic weight for the Americans. It marked their first World Cup knockout-round victory since defeating Mexico in 2002, and their first win over a European side at the tournament since upsetting Portugal 24 years ago — a notable turnaround given the team had dropped its previous ten matches against European opposition.
Bosnia's veteran forward Edin Dzeko, regarded as the country's greatest-ever player, was forced off with an apparent leg injury early in the second half.
Balogun will now miss the next match through suspension. The USMNT advances to face Belgium in the Round of 16 on July 6 in Philadelphia.