This marks the USA's first win in the World Cup knockout stage since defeating Mexico 2-0 in the Round of 16 at the 2002 tournament in South Korea and Japan. The USA had reached the knockout stage three times since then but was eliminated in the Round of 16 each time.
Additionally, the USA broke a 13-match winless streak against European teams in the World Cup, which included six draws and seven losses. Their last victory against a European team was a 3-2 win over Portugal in the group stage of the 2002 tournament.
Having advanced to the Round of 16, the USA will face Belgium, who defeated Senegal, on July 7 at 9 AM at Seattle Stadium.
The USA took the lead in the first half with a fortunate goal. Malik Tillman's forward pass deflected off two Bosnia players and found its way to Polarin Balogun, who scored with a left-footed shot.
In the second half, the USA faced a setback when Balogun received a red card for stepping on an opponent's ankle during an aerial challenge in the 64th minute. This marked the first time in 20 years that a player scored and was sent off in a World Cup knockout match, the last instance being Zinedine Zidane in the 2006 final.
Despite being a player down, the USA secured a crucial second goal in the 82nd minute. Tillman, taking a free kick, scored with a right-footed shot into the top left corner, making it 2-0.
The USA held on to their lead for the remainder of the match, securing their place in the Round of 16.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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