USMNT Passes First Knockout Test vs. BIH
The US men’s national team passed its first major test of the 2026 World Cup with flying colors, defeating Bosnia & Herzegovina 2-0 on Wednesday to advance to the Round of 16.
The Stars and Stripes had to overcome some unexpected adversity in the form of a red card to star striker Folarin Balogun in the 64th minute. The score stood at 1-0 at that point thanks to Balogun’s third goal of the tournament at the stroke of halftime.
He outdueled Bosnia defender Tarik Muharemović to finish a fantastic sequence that saw a backheel pass from Tyler Adams to Malik Tillman, who fed the ball into the box for Balogun to pick out.
It was the kind of quick passing sequence that the US has become especially adept at during this World Cup, and it was able to catch the usually astute Bosnia & Herzegovina defense off-guard just enough to send the crowd watching in Miami and around the nation into hysterics.
The Miami FIFA Fan Fest had to be evacuated due to passing thunderstorms leading up to the match, but with around an hour before kickoff, the fans began to trickle back in.
Luckily, the security situation was a little more streamlined than the sluggish experience I had in DC for that fan fest fiasco, and by the national anthems, there was a nearly full capacity crowd at Bayfront Park’s main amphitheater to cheer on the USMNT.
And what an atmosphere it was.
The night wasn’t without its nervy periods of anticipation and anxiety, thanks in large part to the aforementioned red card.
Despite the fact that USMNT coach Mauricio Pochettino, the match TV commentary team, and many of the US fans watching disagreed that the striker had intentionally brought his foot down on the heel of Muharemović, referee Raphael Claus decided to send Balogun off.
It was a controversial decision, but the end product of the foul did look particularly nasty with Balogun’s cleats crushing Muharemović’s heel. That was likely the ultimate justification, and it put the US in a tough position to defend a 1-0 lead a man down.
They not only did that, but they scored the match-clinching goal in the 82nd minute thanks to a beautiful free kick from Tillman, who continues to shine brightly in the midfield for the Stars and Stripes.
It’s as if, rather than depending heavily on a handful of players, star man Christian Pulisic being the most prominent among them, each match has given a different crop of players the opportunity to be heroes. It’s been a revelation of the kind of depth a good World Cup team needs, and that the USMNT has been sorely lacking for years, and it turned a questionable, nervy night into a resounding statement victory for Pochettino’s men.
That trend of finding different heroes for each match is going to have to continue if the US is going to move on past Belgium in the Round of 16, as they will have to do it without Balogun. PSV striker Ricardo Pepi and even Coventry City’s Haji Wright could factor majorly into Pochettino’s plans to replace one of the rising stars of the tournament.
But what Wednesday’s result unequivocally did was instill some belief that in a do-or-die situation, facing unexpected circumstances, someone on the roster can and will rise to the occasion.
This US unit, as little time as it seemingly has had together, has been able to reach a level of camaraderie and fluidity that past American sides have only grasped at, and it’s likely down to the supreme man management of Pochettino.
With a victory over Bosnia & Herzegovina in a must-win scenario, the USMNT has succeeded where presumably more talented sides like Italy have failed.
Now it is time to see if the US can emulate Zmajevi in taking down an opponent that many see as vastly more talented and coming off the heels of a Golden Generation in Belgium.