FIFA WC 2026: Ten-man USA overcome Bosnia to set up last-16 date with Belgium

San Francisco, July 2 (IANS) The co-host USA relied on goals late in each half to defeat Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-0 here at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium to enter the Round of 36 of the FIFA World Cup 2026.

The co-hosts dig deep and hold on against Bosnia and Herzegovina. Folarin Balogun and Malik Tillman were with the goals, and a red card to Balogun left the USA down a man with 30 minutes to play, but they survived to set up a Round of 16 date with Belgium.

The win against Bosnia and Herzegovina was the second World Cup knockout stage victory. Additionally, the result snapped a 12-match winless streak against European opposition. The win will mark the USMNT’s fourth appearance in the Round of 16 in its last four World Cup participations.

Balogun had already gone close with a snapshot when he thought he had opened the scoring, only for the goal to be ruled out for an offside in the build-up. The striker made it third time lucky on the stroke of the interval, capitalising on Tillman’s through ball, taking a fortuitous double deflection before calmly slotting under the advancing Nikola Vasilj.

The crossbar then denied him a close-range second deep into first-half stoppage time. Having been largely second best, Bosnia and Herzegovina were handed a lifeline in the 64th minute when Balogun was sent off following a VAR review for a challenge on Tarik Muharemovic.

However, the USA dug their heels in and seized their moment to make the game safe. Tillman stepped up and sent home a free-kick just moments after Christian Pulisic had seen a goal chalked off for offside.

Mauricio Pochettino’s men will look to reach the World Cup quarter-finals for only the second time in the modern era when they take on Belgium at Seattle Stadium on July 7.

A win in the Round of 16 would see USA progress to the quarterfinals of the World Cup for the first time since 2002.

–IANS

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