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USMNT beats Bosnia 2-0, advances to Round of 16

sportsJul 2, 2026

The United States beat Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-0 in Santa Clara to reach the FIFA World Cup Round of 16. Folarin Balogun opened the scoring in the 45th minute after a deflection, and Malik Tillman added a second-half free kick to seal the win. The complexion of the match shifted when Balogun received a straight red card after a VAR review in the 64th minute, forcing the U.S. to play more than 25 minutes with 10 men. Coach Mauricio Pochettino kept faith in the on-field structure, delaying substitutions while players reorganized defensively and maintained possession to protect the lead. Christian Pulisic said after the game, "Yeah, we had to dig deep," praising the team's resilience. The victory is the USMNT's first World Cup knockout win since 2002 and sets up a Round of 16 meeting with Belgium on Monday.

Key Highlights

Folarin Balogun scored in the 45th minute to give the U.S. the opener.
Balogun received a straight red after a VAR review in the 64th minute.
Malik Tillman scored a second-half free kick to make it 2-0 and secure advancement.
3 sources
umlegacypressqsefc.comUSMNT beats Bosnia for 1st WC KO win since ’02: The USMNT beat Bosnia-Herzegovina, 2-0, in the World Cup round of 32 on Wednesday night for its first knockout win since 2002. #USMNT #WorldCup #FIFA2026 #Soccer #BosniaHerzegovinasbisoccer.comUSMNT edges Bosnia-Herzegovina to set up Belgium date in Round of 16 - SBI Soccerpittsburghsoccernow.comINSTANT REACTION: Gritty, 10-Man USMNT 'dig deep' and show quality even when it got ugly World Cup knockout triumph

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USMNT beats Bosnia 2-0, advances to Round of 16sports