Folarin Balogun became the third player to ever score a goal and get a red card in the same World Cup knockout-stage match (Zidane, Ronaldinho) as the USMNT defeated Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-0 on Wednesday night. While Balogun became just the third USMNT player to ever score three goals in a single World Cup (Bert Patenaude, Landon Donovan), the USMNT will now have to face Belgium in the round of 16 in Seattle without their star striker.
Despite being down to 10 men, Malik Tillman sealed the historic victory with an incredible free kick in the 82nd minute, sinking Bosnia and Herzegovina’s hopes of a comeback.
History made
The win marked just the second time the USMNT ever won a knockout-stage match, having previously beaten Mexico in 2002 in the round of 16 before falling to Germany 1-0 in South Korea.
It was also just the second-ever time the USMNT defeated a European opponent at the World Cup since 1990, after they massively upset Portugal in 2002.
Balogun to miss Belgium clash
Balogun was easily the best player on the pitch throughout the match but his red card completely changed the game in the 64th minute. It also, most likely, changed the upwards trajectory of the Americans’ World Cup run.
His red card was incredibly controversial, as he and Tarik Muharemovic both went after the ball in what looked to be nothing more than a typical midfield battle. Muharemovic went down screaming and, at first glance, it appeared to just be a common foul.
While it was far from intentional, replays showed Balogun’s right foot landed harshly on the defender’s right leg/ankle, which led the video replay officials to call for a review. After looking at just a few replays, Raphael Claus came sprinting out, deemed it a serious foul, and showed Balogun a red card. Balogun was left stunned, with hands on hips, for some time before sheepishly walking off the pitch.
With his red card, Balogun became the first USMNT player to receive a red card at the World Cup since both Pablo Mastroeni and Eddie Pope were sent off in a group-stage match at the 2006 World Cup.
Closing the deal
While the United States were down to 10 men, they remained on the attack, with Christian Pulisic hitting the net to make it 2-0 to the Americans in the 79th minute… or so they thought. Despite his herculean effort to bundle the ball over the line, he was, in fact, just offside, and the Americans had to keep sweating.
However, it would only take a few more minutes for Bosnia and Herzegovina to foul the Americans on the edge of the box, and Malik Tillman stepped up. Despite not scoring on a free kick for club or country in two years, Tillman bagged one of the best free kicks the 2026 World Cup has seen thus far (perhaps besides Messi) to give the USMNT a desperately needed cushion in the 82nd minute.
Despite facing several scares at the end of the match, the United States prevailed and will play Belgium on Monday, July 6th, in Seattle. This, of course, is a rematch of the famous match between the two sides in the 2014 World Cup, where Tim Howard set the World Cup record with 16 saves in a 2-1 extra-time defeat in the round of 16.
Who replaces Balogun?
The USMNT’s thinnest position is at striker, so there will be some debate as to who will fill in Balogun’s spot at the top of the American formation. While PSV striker Ricardo Pepi seems to be the natural choice, Coventry City’s Haji Wright is another option. While he’s played up top for the USMNT, he has usually been deployed as a winger for the newly promoted Premier League side.
Of course, the most popular decision may be slotting Christian Pulisic into a false nine. He’s been utilized as a striker in the past, though the USMNT’s ability to attack on the wing would significantly decrease.
