The United States men’s national soccer team advanced to the round of 16 at the World Cup with a 2-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday in Santa Clara, California. This marked the USMNT’s first knockout-stage win in 24 years and ended a 10-match losing streak against European opponents.

Folarin Balogun opened the scoring for the United States just before halftime, netting his third goal of the tournament with a sharp turn and shot from the top of the penalty area. Despite being offside on an earlier occasion in the match, Balogun successfully found the back of the net in the 45th minute, putting the U.S. ahead going into the break.

The game grew more tense when Balogun received a red card in the 64th minute, forcing the U.S. to play the remainder of the match with 10 men. The team, however, maintained its defensive organization and controlled the match despite the numerical disadvantage. Bosnia and Herzegovina struggled to break down the American defense and were pinned deep in their own half.

The USMNT sealed the result in the 82nd minute when Malik Tillman scored from a free kick. After a disallowed goal by Christian Pulisic moments earlier due to an offside call, Tillman struck a powerful shot over the wall into the upper left corner of the net from 21 yards out. The free kick was awarded following a foul against Sergino Dest.

Tillman revealed that he had to change his cleats just before taking the free kick due to damage sustained during the match, and acknowledged that some doubted his decision to shoot over the wall. “I practiced this in training,” he said. “You never know when it’s going to happen, but luckily today it happened and now I was ready for it.”

The victory sets up a round of 16 matchup against Belgium in Seattle on Monday, with a place in the quarterfinals at stake. Tillman reflected on the upcoming challenge, emphasizing the importance of preparation and enjoyment of the moment. “It won’t be an easy game,” he said, “but now we will analyze them, we will analyze our game and hopefully we keep going.”

The U.S. team’s 2-0 win not only marks progress in the tournament but also a milestone achievement by winning three matches in a single World Cup for the first time. The result has energized the squad and its supporters as they look ahead to facing a formidable Belgian side.