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United States defeated Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-0 this Wednesday in the round of 32 of the 2026 World Cup, held at the in front of a crowd that witnessed a dramatic match marked by the ejection of the local scorer.
Folarin Balogun opened the scoring in the 45th minute, just before halftime, giving the host nation the lead.
The course of the match changed dramatically in the 64th minute when Balogun received a red card after a VAR review for a foul on the Bosnian player Muharemovic, leaving the United States with ten men for over 25 minutes.
Far from backing down, the U.S. team withstood the Bosnian pressure and found the decisive goal in the 82nd minute thanks to Malik Tillman, a 24-year-old midfielder from PSV Eindhoven, who sealed the match with a crucial goal.
The statistics reflected a closely matched duel: almost identical possession (49% for the United States compared to 51% for Bosnia), the same number of shots (eight for each team), and Bosnia with one more shot on target (three to two).
The difference was marked by the effectiveness in finishing: the United States converted their two clearest chances, while Bosnia failed to capitalize on their slight superiority in play.
Bosnia committed 12 fouls compared to seven by the Americans, and in the 80th minute, they accumulated two yellow cards simultaneously for Barbarez and Radeljic.
Bosnio also made a triple substitution in the 51st minute, with Gigovic, Sunjic, and veteran Edin Dzeko coming off, but the changes did not alter the course of the scoreline.
With this victory, the United States advances to the Round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup, where on July 6 in Seattle, they will face the winner of the match between Belgium and Senegal.
Bosnia and Herzegovina, which had reached this stage as the best third-place team in Group B with four points — marking the first time in its history as an independent nation that it advanced beyond the group stage — is eliminated from the tournament.
Balogun concludes his participation in the World Cup with four goals, including the hat-trick against Paraguay on June 13, but he will not be able to participate in the round of 16 due to suspension following his expulsion.
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