U.S. advances to round of 16 with thrilling win over Bosnia-Herzegovina - BERITAJA

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Folarin Balogun was still learning to locomotion the past clip the U.S. won a knockout-round crippled successful a World Cup. On Wednesday he started the Americans to another, pinch his extremity successful the waning seconds of the first half sparking a 2-0 win complete Bosnia and Herzegovina that sends the squad connected to the information of 16 of this summer’s tournament.

The different extremity came from Malik Tillman successful the 82^nd minute. The Americans person scored aggregate goals successful each crippled of the tourney for the first clip successful their history. The 10 goals wide is besides a record.

The U.S. will look Belgium successful the adjacent information Monday successful Seattle. Belgium precocious with a 3-2 win complete Senegal successful other time.

Balogun wasn’t about to spot decorativeness though, drafting a consecutive a reddish paper for stomping connected the correct ankle of Bosnian halfway backmost Tarik Muharemovic’s successful the 61^st minute, a foul Brazilian referee Raphael Claus confirmed done a video review. That not only forced the Americans to spot Wednesday’s crippled retired pinch conscionable 10 players, but it intends Balogun, their champion subordinate successful the tournament, will miss the round-of-16 crippled pinch Belgium arsenic well.

Balogun, who owes his spot connected the squad to the truth his pregnant mother was prevented from boarding a level to London 25 years ago, forcing her to springiness commencement to an American-citizen boy successful Brooklyn, put the U.S. successful beforehand conscionable earlier the intermission. The series started pinch Bosnian defender Stjepan Radeljic sliding successful beforehand of a Malik Tillman pass, deflecting it guardant toward Muharemovic. But Muharemovic sewage his feet crossed, allowing the shot to carom to Balogun who did the rest, sweeping the shot into the nett pinch his near footwear from about 15 feet.

The extremity was Balogun’s 3rd of the tournament, tying him pinch Landon Donovan (2010) for about by an American successful a azygous World Cup since 1930. The lead was Americans’ first astatine halftime successful a World Cup knockout crippled since 2002, erstwhile they hit Mexico successful the information of 16.

Folarin Balogun and Bosnia-Herzegovina defender Amar Dedic successful action during the first half.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

That people besides made up for 1 Balogun mislaid to an offside telephone successful the 31^st minute. After taking a provender from Weston McKennie astatine the apical of the box, Balogun dribbled about a defender arsenic he entered the punishment area, past buried a left-footed changeable into the backmost of the net. But the emblem went up immediately.

The Americans mislaid different extremity successful the 79^th infinitesimal erstwhile Christian Pulisic hit Bosnian keeper Nikola Vasilj aft an awesome build-up connected passes from McKennie and Tillman. But he was good offside.

Again, it mattered small pinch the U.S. getting that extremity backmost 3 minutes later pinch Tillman bending a free footwear from the apical of the container disconnected Vasilj’s gloved correct manus and into the net.

During the second-half hydration break, Tillman had complained of problems pinch his correct boot. A cleat was changed retired and mintes later Tillman utilized that ft to people the security goal.

Other than the reddish paper to Balogun — the 5th by a U.S. subordinate successful a World Cup but the first since 2006 — Claus seemed small willing successful controlling a crippled that grew progressively beingness arsenic Bosnia struggled to neutralize the Americans’ superior speed. For overmuch of the crippled the players were besides moving successful and retired of shadows on the occidental touchline and some goalkeepers had to shadiness their eyes against glare from the cloudless late-afternoon skies.

Until Wednesday, the U.S. hadn’t beaten a European squad successful 13 tries, a slump that included draws pinch Wales and England successful the 2022 World Cup and six losses successful arsenic galore games nether existent coach Mauricio Pochettino.

The past UEFA state it did beat? Bosnia and Herzegovina, successful December 2021.