USMNT Advance in World Cup Despite Controversial Red Card

The Americans are through to the next round. This gives USNMT three World Cup wins, the most the USMNT has ever had in a World Cup.

Sports • July 2, 2026

Written by ZACH ROBERTS

Photography REUTERS/CARLOS BARRIA

The USMNT nearly had everything that could go wrong go wrong for them in a gutsy, costly Round of 31 knockout win at the World Cup. Missed chances early on led to a slim lead with a red card being shown, but the Americans are through to the next round. This gives them three World Cup wins, the most the USMNT has ever had in a World Cup.

Sigh of relief after first half for USMNT in win

The USMNT nearly endured a nightmare first half. They absolutely dominated possession, keeping the ball 62% of the time. And when they had it, they were dangerous, posting a 0.73 expected goal tally to Bosnia’s 0.04 mark.

The Americans missed the only big chance in the entire half, and they pretty much led in every single metric at halftime. The only saving grace was the fact that Folarin Balogun slotted home a strike between the goalie’s legs after a deflection by a Bosnia defender.

Before that, though, he could’ve had two penalties awarded, but the referee decided not to award them, and the VAR did not step in. He also had an initial opening goal wiped away for being offside. Still, his lone goal kept the Americans in the well-deserved lead, preventing them from having a long and uncomfortable halftime.

Second half nightmares

The second half began even worse. Folarin Balogun earned a red card, quite controversially. He had some genuine qualms about the refereeing early on, and the first card shown is red to him, sending him off. It was not a well-received decision from the VAR. It’s worth noting the on-field ref didn’t even give a yellow initially.

It’s worth noting that the Americans are going to miss Balogun in the next game as a result of the infraction. But even down to 10, the USMNT didn’t stop being aggressive. They even doubled the lead on a brilliant play in the 79th minute, but Christian Pulisic was offside before he rebounded a save right into the net.

Then, with a free kick just outside the box, the USMNT did double its lead. Malik Tillman took it beautifully and slotted it past the keeper effortlessly. If nothing else, the Americans showed their immense resolve to score again down a man. Even in stoppage time, they continued to pursue goals, nearly scoring on a couple of occasions. That score would hold despite the Bosnians’ best efforts.

Even with a man advantage, Bosnia never really threatened the defense. A couple of long, desperation strikes narrowly missed the goal, but otherwise, they were quiet. The back line did well, and Matt Freese made the routine saves when called upon, which honestly wasn’t very often. The aggressiveness of the forwards and midfield helped shut down any Bosnian attacks before they could really get going.

What’s next?

The USMNT is moving on. They’ll face Belgium, who hours earlier enjoyed a historic, unprecedented comeback. They trailed by two in the 85th minute before scoring twice in three minutes and making it into stoppage time of extra time before landing a penalty to win it. Incidentally, Belgium knocked the US out in the Round of 16 in 2014.

They will be, as mentioned, without Folarin Balogun, who has three goals in three appearances in this tournament. That puts a damper on any of their momentum moving forward. It is likely that Ricardo Pepi will replace him in the Starting XI, but he works best as a second striker with Balogun rather than as a lone attacker.

This may force Mauricio Pochettino to get creative. This team has shown the depth to score and survive with Christian Pulisic sidelined for a match and a half, and in the third, meaningless group game with 10 starters, including Balogun, resting. There are options, but losing one of the best strikers in the tournament for a knockout game is Pochettino’s biggest test as manager so far.

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By Zach Roberts

Zachary Roberts has written in the sports industry for over four years. He's covered the Carolina Panthers, Charlotte Hornets, Seattle Seahawks, and wider coverage of the NFL, pro golf, NHL, MLB, and NBA. He has worked with ComicBook, Sportskeeda, The Sporting News, and the On SI Network. In his free time, Zachary loves playing video games, watching movies, or reading books.

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