How the USMNT refused to blink against Bosnia and kept their World Cup dreams alive
SANTA CLARA, Calif. – At the World Cup, the US men’s national team has become accustomed to quick leads and a game style that suits its fluid, attacking tendencies. To describe the goals they scored in Wednesday’s 2-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina in the round of 32 as inevitable would be a bridge too far, but it was within their ability, so much so Folarin BalogunThe opening goal in the 45th minute felt like a long time coming. They appeared to have survived a game plan that disrupted their opponents just before the break, with the team on course for their first World Cup win in 24 years, with the floodgates likely to open in time for the second half.
However, football had other plans.
First, the large number of guns they hoped to fire in Bosnia and Herzegovina never arrived. The game continued to match the referee when the referee blew the whistle in the second half, their first shot after the break came in the 79th minute. It was far from their biggest problem, however – star striker Balogun was shown a red card in the 64th minute for a studs-up challenge on Tarik Muharemovic, even if it was completely unintentional as he had his back to the defender. Conventional wisdom would suggest that SMNT they tried to bend the horn to narrowly defend a one-goal lead with half an hour on the clock, their efforts just didn’t come off no matter how hard they tried. That was especially true on the wings, where the USMNT attack often flowed; Sergino Dest and Christian Pulisic he was out a lot and was not particularly present, with Balogun out of the field, the balance was off.
The USMNT, however, stuck to their guns and stayed true to the mode that had defined their World Cup journey but never really been the team’s trademark – playing like big shots.
The biggest question of football strategy has already been carried over to the World Cup played after a spectacular, strong performance that has taken over certain sections of the world game. The USMNT, along with many other teams at this World Cup, have decided that defense is as good an offense as anyone can do. It hasn’t been easy for the USMNT against Bosnia and Herzegovina, limiting them to just two shots on target and an expected goals of 0.92. It did not deter the USMNT, who were rewarded for their persistence with a goal Malik Tillman about 20 minutes after Balogun’s red card – and with their only shot in the second half.
It was a brilliant strategy that shows the intentions of the team that aims to make a statement in the World Cup at home, the momentum of a hard-fought victory but with the right solution. It’s also a sign that, if nothing else, the USMNT are positioning themselves as a team that can really try to place themselves among the world’s best, many of whom are seeking positions of their own.
It’s their round of 16 game against each other In Belgium on Monday they will provide a uniquely rigorous test of their ability to live up to their desires. Their next opponent has not always impressed in this World Cup but can rest on their top talents, chief among them the midfielder Kevin de Bruynethe greatest playmaker of his generation.
A win in the round of 32 still feels like some version of purgatory between the group stage and the knockout, even if the rest of the round was entertaining. This win, however, is just as important as any other and marks an important step in the journey – and a particularly memorable one.
