US beat Bosnia 2-0 to keep World Cup dream alive

The United States booked its place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 last 16 with a determined 2-0 victory over Bosnia-Herzegovina. Despite losing a player to a red card in the second half, the Americans held their nerve and sealed an impressive win.

Folarin Balogun gave the United States the lead after an outstanding first-half performance. He scored his third goal of the tournament and created several other chances as the USA dominated the opening stages of the match.

However, the game took a dramatic turn in the 64th minute when Balogun was shown a straight red card for fouling Tarik Muharemovic. The dismissal forced the Americans to play the remainder of the match with 10 men.

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Bosnia-Herzegovina attempted to capitalize on its numerical advantage, but the United States defended resolutely and continued to counterattack. The victory was sealed in the 82nd minute when Malik Tillman scored from a free kick just outside the penalty area. His powerful strike slipped through the hands of goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj and into the back of the net, making it 2-0.

The win marked only the second FIFA World Cup knockout-stage victory for the United States. The Americans previously won a Round of 16 match against Mexico in 2002 after reaching the semi-finals of the inaugural FIFA World Cup in 1930.

The victory has set up an exciting Round of 16 clash against Belgium in Seattle on Monday as the United States continues its bid for a memorable World Cup run on home soil. The match was played less than 20 miles from Stanford Stadium, where the United States suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat to Brazil in the 1994 FIFA World Cup knockout stage.