McKennie says US fought past Bosnia after Balogun red card

Weston McKennie said the United States had 10 players ready to sacrifice after Folarin Balogun was sent off, and the response carried the Americans into the World Cup quarterfinal chase with a 2-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina at Levi’s Stadium.

The result, sealed before 68,827 spectators in Santa Clara, California, sent the United States into the round of 16 and ended a long drought in knockout play. It was the Americans’ first victory in a World Cup elimination match since 2002 and only their second such win in tournament history, a milestone that came after they spent the final 26 minutes plus stoppage time down a man.

Balogun put the United States ahead just before halftime with his third goal of the tournament, then was shown a direct red card in the 64th minute after a VAR review found that his studs had caught Bosnia defender Tarik Muharemovic on the leg and foot. The dismissal will keep Balogun out of the next match against Belgium in Seattle on Monday, though U.S. Soccer said it would only appeal if the suspension is longer than one game.

The Americans did not retreat into survival mode. Malik Tillman added the second goal in the 82nd minute with a free kick, closing out a match in which the United States kept enough composure and structure to see off a Bosnia side that started on the front foot before the U.S. controlled long stretches of possession.

McKennie’s role underscored that stability. The Juventus midfielder was the only American to start all three group-stage matches, and Mauricio Pochettino again trusted him in a midfield that also included Christian Pulisic and Tyler Adams. That mix of familiar starters helped the team absorb the shock of Balogun’s sending-off without giving Bosnia the momentum swing that often turns knockout games.

The red card also pushed Balogun into a strange corner of World Cup history. He became the fifth American sent off at a World Cup, and the first player to score and be expelled in a knockout match since Zinedine Zidane in the 2006 final. For the United States, the cleaner historical marker was the one on the scoreboard: a rare knockout win built on depth, work rate and the belief that a late-man disadvantage did not have to change the outcome.