·Team USA is moving on at the World Cup, and this was a big one because the tournament has now reached the part where one bad game sends you home. The U.S. beat Bosnia-Herzegovina 2 to 0, which means they survive and advance to the next round.
·The U.S. finally broke through right before halftime when Folarin Balogun scored. In soccer, a halftime lead is huge in a knockout game because the other team has to come out desperate and start taking bigger chances.
·Then the whole game flipped. Balogun was shown a red card after officials reviewed a collision with a Bosnia player. A red card means he had to leave the game immediately and you’re out for the next game.
·Team USA had to finish the final half hour with only 10 players instead of 11.
·So Bosnia-Herzegovina had the extra player for the rest of the match, and the U.S. had one job: protect that 1 to 0 lead without falling apart.
·They did more than protect it. Malik Tillman scored on a free kick in the 82nd minute to give the U.S. a 2 to 0 lead.
·That gave Team USA room to breathe and shut the game down.
·The win is a major milestone because it is the first time the U.S. men have won a World Cup elimination game since 2002.
·Next up is Belgium on Monday, July 6, in Seattle. The winner moves on to the quarterfinals, which is the final eight teams left in the entire World Cup.
·The problem is Balogun will miss the Belgium game because of the red card.
·He scored the first goal against Bosnia-Herzegovina, then got tossed from the game, and now the U.S. has to face a tougher opponent without him.
The U.S. finally broke through right before halftime when Folarin Balogun scored. In soccer, a halftime lead is huge in a knockout game because the other team has to come out desperate and start taking bigger chances.
The U.S. finally broke through right before halftime when Folarin Balogun scored. In soccer, a halftime lead is huge in a knockout game because the other team has to come out desperate and start taking bigger chances.
