The United States men's national team beat Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-0 in the World Cup Round of 32 on Wednesday night at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, claiming its first knockout-stage victory since 2002 — and doing the last half hour of the work with ten men after goalscorer Folarin Balogun was sent off. Malik Tillman's 81st-minute free kick sealed a result that sends the Americans to Seattle for a Round of 16 meeting with Belgium on Monday.
Balogun put the US ahead in the 45th minute, finishing off the move of the match just before the halftime whistle. But midway through the second half, Brazilian referee Raphael Claus showed him a straight red for serious foul play after a challenge on Bosnian defender Tarik Muharemovic — Balogun came down on the defender's foot, rolling his ankle. A video review upheld the decision.
The call incensed the American bench and much of the stadium. "For me? Never a red card," coach Mauricio Pochettino said afterward, insisting there was no intent. The suspension is automatic and cannot be appealed: Balogun, the team's most in-form striker, will miss the Belgium match. He leaves the round with an odd distinction — the first player since Zinedine Zidane in 2006 to score and be sent off in the same World Cup knockout match.
What followed the red card may be the most encouraging thing Pochettino has seen from his team. Rather than bunkering, the ten-man US side stayed organized, kept Bosnia's attack at arm's length, and struck again when Tillman bent a perfectly weighted free kick from just outside the penalty area in the 81st minute. The clean sheet was the Americans' second of the tournament.
The win gives Pochettino three World Cup victories as US coach, the most of any manager in the program's history, and extends a tournament in which the Americans topped their group ahead of Turkey. Christian Pulisic framed the night in the terms the program has always aspired to: "this is what it takes to be a really strong team."
History waits in Seattle. Belgium eliminated the US 2-1 in extra time in the Round of 16 in 2014, the Tim Howard game, and a quarterfinal berth — something no US men's team has reached since 2002 — is the prize. The Americans will attempt it without their leading scorer, in front of a home crowd, against the highest-ranked opponent they have faced all tournament.
The 2002 team's Round of 16 win over Mexico remains the modern benchmark for the program; Wednesday was only the second knockout victory since the tournament's post-war era began. For one more round at least, a home World Cup keeps its centerpiece team.