The United States team, led by Argentine Mauricio Pochettino, beat Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-0 this Wednesday at the Levi’s Stadium in San Francisco and sealed their ticket to the round of 16 of the World Cup they are hosting, in which they will face Belgium.
With Pochettino on the bench and goals from Folarin Balogun, sent off in the second half and out of the round of 16, and Malik Tillman, the United States achieved the second victory in its history in a direct elimination phase of a World Cup.
The United States will travel to Seattle to face a Belgium team on July 6 that made a miraculous comeback from 0-2 to 3-2 against Senegal.
Bosnia, which had achieved the best sporting result in its history by reaching the knockout phase, said goodbye to the World Cup in what could be the legendary striker Edin Dzeko’s last game as an international.
The United States went from euphoria at taking advantage of Balogun to despair when their striker was sent off with a straight red card in the 64th minute. But they held on, and ended up celebrating.
It was a matter of centimeters if Bosnia escaped from 1-0 after half an hour, when the United States recovered at the three-quarter line and Balogun struck down the goalkeeper with a great left-footed shot. The Monaco striker received the pass when he was offside and the Levi’s Stadium had to interrupt the celebrations.
It was only a matter of time. Because Bosnia, in an attempt to slow down the pace of the match, made another error in ball delivery and this time the United States punished it. Tyler Adams played a vertical ball that, after two rebounds in the penalty area, Balogun took advantage of to seal the 1-0.
The Monaco striker celebrated his third goal in this World Cup in the style of LeBron James and only the crossbar prevented him from scoring the double before the break.
Red to Balogun and scare
Balogun was having the best moment of his career, but when the game seemed on track for the United States, he committed an involuntary and dangerous foul against Tarik Muharemovic, stepping on his ankle, causing a spectacular twist. The referee checked him and showed him the red.
A new party began for the United States. A test of suffering in the face of Bosnia’s final push, which gave everything despite losing its great leader, Edin Dzeko, to injury.
The United States was scared by some Bosnian shots from the edge of the area, but in one of their transitions they got a direct free kick from the edge of the area that Tillman converted with quality in the 79th minute to end the suffering.
It was the 2-0 that triggered the euphoria of Levi’s Stadium and sent the United States back to Seattle to face Belgium in the round of 16.
