USA survives red-card storm to beat Bosnia

USA beat – Folarin Balogun scored for the USA against Bosnia and Herzegovina, but was shown a red card that threatened to derail the USMNT’s World Cup hopes. Mauricio Pochettino’s 10 men dug in and Malik Tillman’s brilliant late free kick sealed a 2-0 win that sends the

When Folarin Balogun walked toward the tunnel at Levi’s Stadium after 64 minutes. it looked like the kind of moment that could flip a summer on its head. Teammates and opponents clustered around him anyway—Christian Pulisic pulled him into a hug. and Bosnia’s Sead Kolasinac patted him on the head—while substitutes trailed him offering their own reactions.

Balogun had done the hard part first. He scored the goal that put the USMNT on course for the last 16—his third strike of this World Cup. Then, almost as quickly, referee Raphael Claus sent him off in a decision that could have turned celebration into crisis.

It didn’t cost the USA. With Mauricio Pochettino’s team reduced to 10 men. Malik Tillman’s free kick. eight minutes from time. made sure of a 2-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina and a spot in the knockout stage. The win snapped a long winless run against European opposition and delivered only the second knockout-stage victory in World Cup history for the USMNT.

But the night still carried a shadow. Pochettino now faces at least one match without his No 9—potentially more if Balogun’s punishment is increased.

FIFA rules mean red cards can only be appealed in limited circumstances: mistaken identity, or if a player was facing a multi-game suspension. Balogun’s case places the USA in a familiar kind of tension—one created not on the pitch, but by what comes next.

It was the first time since Zinedine Zidane in the 2006 final that a player scored and was sent off in the same World Cup knockout game. For Balogun, the chaos started before half-time. He was involved in a first-half frenzy: he scored near the end of the half. saw another goal disallowed. hit the woodwork. and had a penalty appeal turned down.

Then the second-half incident arrived. Midway through the period, Balogun collided with Bosnia and Herzegovina center back Tarik Muharemovic. Muharemovic went down in agony. and for a moment there was no sense inside Levi’s Stadium that it would become anything more. It changed quickly when a message appeared on the big screen: VAR was checking for a possible red card.

That meant a trip for Brazilian referee Raphael Claus to the monitor. Replays showed Balogun’s studs running down the back of Muharemovic’s leg and then landing on the defender’s ankle.

What followed was a straightforward kind of moment, painful on contact, but intensely disputed in interpretation. The decision looked. frame by frame. like the red card was a ludicrous call—less a clash with intent than a tangle of legs as Balogun tried to secure possession with his eyes fixed on the ball.

Tillman ultimately ensured the controversy didn’t decide the result. The midfielder—quietly one of the standout forces of this team—delivered the decisive late strike. It capped a performance built on energy and grit and the kind of character Pochettino’s side needed with a man down.

Before the red card, the USA had already been leaning on momentum. Their path to the win didn’t start with the penalty drama or the VAR monitor—it began with a first half full of pivots and nearly moments, shaped by Balogun’s frustration and drive.

He opened his night with a goal in the 45th minute. That finish came after Tyler Adams’ neat backheel released Tillman, who slid a through-ball toward Balogun. The ball diverted off two defenders before reaching the striker, who slid it beyond Nikola Vasilj. Balogun celebrated with his own version of LeBron James’ ‘Silencer.’ He now sits as one of three USA players to score at least three goals at a single World Cup.

There were still signs he could have had more. In the eighth minute of stoppage time, Adams clipped a pass to Sergino Dest at the back post. Dest’s header found Balogun, who could only loop the shot onto the bar.

Bosnia did threaten as well, just not with the same sharpness. The clearest couple of scares came in quick succession. A long ball to Edin Dzeko set off Ermedin Demirovic, whose shot Matt Freese parried. Kerim Alajbegovic then curled the resulting corner under Freese’s crossbar, forcing the goalkeeper to claw it away. Either side of those moments, the US looked more dangerous.

Christian Pulisic—back in the starting lineup for the first time since America’s opening game—was bright off the left flank. and McKennie’s runs in behind repeatedly caused problems. On one occasion, his cross was pushed clear by Vasilj, who then collided with the knee of Antonee Robinson. Vasilj was still icing his left cheek during the first hydration break, while boos met the delay.

The crowd’s frustration didn’t stop the USA from pressing. They banged and banged at the door until the home fans had the goal they craved—timing that made the late collapse from Bosnian resistance feel inevitable, even if this match had already gone off-script.

The knockout-stage evidence had suggested drama was coming. Before this, nine games in the round of 32 had been played, with seven decided no earlier than the 86th minute.

Bosnia and Herzegovina coach Sergej Barbarez—himself a former professional poker player—tried to change the rhythm early in the second half with three substitutions. One of those was Esmir Bajraktarevic, born in Wisconsin, who represented the USMNT in 2024 before committing to Bosnia. Bajraktarevic is the son of refugees and the winger scored the goal that brought Bosnia and Herzegovina to this World Cup. In the end. neither Bajraktarevic. the referee. nor Ermin Mahmic—who came close with two stoppage-time shots—could halt the USA’s march.

Pulisic thought the game was over when he scored with 12 minutes remaining, but the moment was ruled out as offside. Tillman was at the heart of it again, yet another offside denial delayed the release of the tension until it could be locked down for real.

When the VAR storm hit and Balogun was shown a straight red card after his collision with Muharemovic, the USA’s summer could have ended right there.

Instead, the team responded. Malik Tillman’s free kick secured the 2-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the USMNT booked its place in the last 16. Next up is Belgium, and a shot at a first quarterfinal since 2002.

USA vs Bosnia Folarin Balogun red card Raphael Claus Malik Tillman free kick Pochettino USMNT last 16 Belgium quarterfinal