The U.S. men’s national team defeated Bosnia and Herzegovina 2–0 on Wednesday night, earning its first World Cup knockout stage win in 24 years to continue its inspiring run on home soil this summer.
The round of 32 battle in front of a sold-out Levi’s Stadium wasn’t always pretty—especially in the second half when the USMNT was forced to play down a man—but the Americans dug deep and found a way to victory.
Nobody believes in the U.S. more than the team itself, intent “to touch the moon,” as manager Mauricio Pochettino said before kickoff, and the team proved on Wednesday that it intends to prevail in the toughest of moments.
The USMNT will now turn its attention to the World Cup round of 16, where it will come head-to-head with Belgium in Seattle on Monday.
Tactical Adaptability
Bosnia and Herzegovina presented a few unique threats for the USMNT. The team adapted to them brilliantly, proving it has what it takes to be flexible in match play and cater to the specific opponent it is facing, while still employing its own strengths. This complexity will be integral moving forward against tougher opponents.
Playing in a 4-4-2 formation, the Bosnians were heavy on the defensive numbers and densely compact in their own half, closing gaps between the flat midfield line and backline to quell the U.S.’s penetration through the final third. At times, Bosnia even switched to a five-back, with three flat midfielders in front of the defenders. It was abundantly clear that defense was the visitor’s first priority against an attacking aggressor.
The U.S. quickly proved, though, that it had the bandwidth to dismantle the Bosnians’ low block. In the center of the pitch, the team relied on short, quick, one-touch passing sequences—often forming triangles—which worked brilliantly to exploit the small amount of space that Bosnia gave the U.S. to operate within. The players were still able to break through lines in the final third and secured two corner kick opportunities within the first five minutes alone.
The USMNT also bypassed Bosnia’s low block by dishing long balls to the corners, which the speedy Sergiño Dest, Antonee Robinson and Weston McKennie got on the end of, before slotting them across the goal face to wreak havoc on Bosnia’s shaping. The emphasis on width also granted more space in the center of the pitch for the American midfielders.
Aside from the long balls to the corners, the U.S. was smart to avoid playing too much in the air, as Bosnia and Herzegovina was the tallest competing team in the World Cup. Everything through the center of the pitch was played on the grounds, and the floating balls to the corners were played especially high and especially distant from Bosnian’s behemoth fullbacks.
The only one who struggled to get involved in the offensive tactics was superstar Christian Pulisic, who had just 11 touches on the ball through the first quarter, due in part to the U.S.’s emphasis on attacking down the right side of the pitch. The left winger eventually became more involved, though, his savvy foot skills presenting its own set of challenges to Bosnia’s defenders.
Defensively, the U.S. soon learned that Bosnia had very specific, pre-planned plays, especially on goal kicks and kick-offs, an effort to make the most of chances the visitors knew would be few and far between. In these moments, the USMNT’s backline—marshaled by center backs Chris Richards and Tim Ream—did well to drop low and tuck in centrally, anticipating the blasted long balls that Bosnia wanted to surprise them with.
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Balogun is the X-Factor the USMNT Will Miss
The U.S.’s tactical brilliance was most prominently on display in the 45th minute when striker Folarin Balogun found the back of the net. The sequence began with a one-touch pass from Ream to defensive midfielder Tyler Adams, who likewise one-touch flicked the ball to Malik Tillman. Tillman took a quick touch before finding Balogun on the run towards the top of the box.
The swiftness with which the play happened completely disrupted Bosnia’s defensive lines and allowed Balogun to capitalize on the chaos.
Balogun is defining himself as the X-factor for Pochettino’s side. He now has three goals in just three matches in his World Cup debut. The 24-year-old is, quite frankly, unstoppable.
The most exciting part about Balogun for U.S. fans, though, is just how vengeful he is—just like every true striker should be. He initially found the back of the net in the 31st minute before he was called a step offside. That play served only to fire up Balogun even more, immediately influencing the energy on the pitch. The star needed less than 15 minutes to find his way back to the net, which has become a trend for Balogun. Onlookers know that anytime he is called offside, a true goal is not far behind.
Balogun, however, was controversially given a red card in the 64th minute, not only forcing the USMNT down a player, but also eliminating his availability for the round of 16. The team will be hurting without its No. 9, but will look to striker Ricardo Pepi to step up big in his place.
Game Management, Pure Determination
The USMNT entered the knockout stage inspired and confident after a strong group stage campaign that saw it take the Group D crown with a match to spare. Still, pundits questioned whether or not the team’s success just came from a lucky draw and would be easily stripped away in single-elimination against tougher opponents.
Bosnia and Herzegovina was certainly not a World Cup contender, but it was an imposing, gritty force. After all, it defeated No. 14-ranked Italy in the World Cup qualifiers, also preying on the Italians being down a man. The team presented the toughest challenge the U.S. had yet to face.
The challenge became a whole lot tougher too when Balogun was controversially flashed a red card, forcing the U.S. to play with just 10 men and completely altering the state of the match.
All of a sudden, the U.S. found itself on the defensive, playing a similar style to what Bosnia employed in the first half. The Americans knew they just needed to dig deep and run out the clock for the win.
The team not only did that masterfully, but also managed to lengthen the lead in the process. A quick counterattack set up a free kick for Tillman just outside the box, which he perfectly curved, deflecting over the Bosnian wall and past goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj in the 82nd minute.
The USMNT proved it has what it takes to game manage and prevail in tough circumstances, without getting rattled, skills that will most definitely be required of them moving forward in the competition.
U.S. goalkeeper Matt Freese was perhaps the unsung hero, though, making three clutch saves inside the box as well as nine recoveries to ensure the win and clean sheet.
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