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US Keeps World Cup Dream Alive in Dramatic Victory

Thursday, July 2, 2026
5 min read
US Keeps World Cup Dream Alive in Dramatic Victory

The US kept their World Cup dream alive, in a really dramatic way. They managed to survive a red card late in the game and beat Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-0. That put them in the Round of 16 on Wednesday.

In front of that roaring home crowd, they snagged just their second knockout victory. And it was their first one in almost twenty-five years. A massive moment for them. They set up a mouthwatering clash against Belgium next in Seattle.

The game started okay enough. The hosts looked bright initially, but things got messy fast. Bosnia really tried to exploit the space behind the American defense. Dzeko, that veteran captain, was making all the good chances for the visitors. He tee'd up Demirovic first. Then Matt Freese made another smart stop on a dangerous corner kick.

Then the second half hit. Mauricio Pochettino’s team started taking control slowly. Balogun had some big appeals for penalties, but they waved them away. Another shot ruled out for offside. The breakthrough finally happened right at halftime.

Captain Ream intercepted a Bosnian goal kick. Quickly released Malik Tillman. A lucky deflection went into Balogun’s path. He kept it cool and slotted past Vasilj. The California crowd exploded then. Pure celebration.

But the second half? That was a total twist. Bosnia really pushed after bringing in fresh legs. In the 64th minute, things took a sharp turn for Balogun. VAR reviewed it. Straight red card. He stamped on Tarik Muharemovic’s foot. Suddenly, the US were left with ten men to finish the game.

Bosnia tried to push again after that. Demirovic missed a golden chance by firing straight at Freese. During the break, Pochettino just gathered everyone in a huddle. Trying to keep them calm under all that pressure.

They didn't crumble. They actually delivered something huge instead. Christian Pulisic thought he had doubled the lead briefly before being flagged offside. But then, in the 82nd minute, Sergino Dest won a free-kick on the edge of the box. Tillman stepped up. He curled a brilliant effort over the wall and past Vasilj’s fingertips. The victory was sealed.

Bosnia pushed through for ten tense minutes at the end. But the United States held firm. They managed to keep that clean sheet. It felt like everything.

Written by Gree News Team — Senior Editorial Board

Gree News Team covers international news and global affairs at Gree News. Our collective of senior editors is dedicated to providing independent, accurate, and responsible journalism for a global audience.

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