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By Megan Armstrong
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That certainly wasn't how United States men's national team manager Mauricio Pochettino drew it up, but the USMNT prevailed with an emphatic 2-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Round of 32 at the 2026 FIFA men's World Cup on Wednesday night, July 1.
USMNT breakout star striker Folarin Balogun scored in the 45th minute, ironically hitting LeBron James' "Silencer" celebration as the Santa Clara crowd erupted. The U.S. controlled possession and didn't face much adversity from Bosnia.
But after Balogun was shockingly shown a red card in the 64th minute — ruling him out for the rest of this match and the Round of 16 — a 10-man American side had to dig deep. Malik Tillman gave all of the U.S. breathing room with an absolute golazo of a free kick in the 82nd minute.
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After the USMNT secured its first knockout stage win since 2002, John Denver's "Take Me Home, Country Roads" blared. Pochettino emotionally sang along before verbalizing his undying belief more directly with Jenny Taft.
"Why not us?" Pochettino said on the FOX broadcast.
"So proud," Pochettino said separately. "The players deserve everything. The way that we compete against a very good team, very difficult team, it's a lot to be proud [of], no? So proud. So proud of all my players, all the staff, and then these fans [who] were amazing today again. It's amazing to live that experience."
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This is the first men's World Cup cycle with the tournament expanded from 32 to 48 nations, so while the USMNT notched its first knockout stage win since 2002, it still has not advanced beyond the Round of 16. The USMNT has not escaped the Round of 16, traditionally the fist knockout stage game before this year, to reach the quarterfinals since that 2002 World Cup.
If this USMNT squad is going to reach the quarterfinals, it will have to beat Belgium without Balogun. Belgium and the U.S. last clashed at the 2014 men's World Cup in the Round of 16, with Belgium breaking American hearts in extra time. The rematch will take place in Seattle on Monday, July 6.
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