USA Cruise Past Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-0 to Reach Last 16
USA 2-0 Bosnia and Herzegovina
The United States booked their place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 with a determined 2-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina at the San Francisco Bay Area on Thursday.
The hosts dominated possession in a tightly contested first half but had to wait until first-half stoppage time for the breakthrough. Folarin Balogun latched onto a deflected pass from Malik Tillman and calmly slotted home to give the Americans a deserved lead before the interval.
Bosnia and Herzegovina made three substitutions at the start of the second half, including the forced withdrawal of veteran striker Edin Džeko due to injury, with Ermin Mahmić replacing him.
The complexion of the match changed in the 64th minute when goalscorer Balogun was shown a straight red card, reducing the USA to 10 men. Bosnia and Herzegovina pushed forward in search of an equaliser, but the American defence stood firm under sustained pressure.
Despite being a man down, the USA sealed the win in the 82nd minute when Malik Tillman found the back of the net, finishing off a decisive counterattack to double the advantage.
Late substitutions saw Ricardo Pepi replace Christian Pulisic and Sebastian Berhalter come on for Sergiño Dest as the hosts comfortably managed the closing stages.
The 2-0 victory sends the USA into the Round of 16, where they will face Belgium, while Bosnia and Herzegovina bow out of the tournament.
