The United States men’s national team defeated Bosnia-Herzegovina 2-0 in the World Cup round of 32 on Wednesday night in Santa Clara, California, securing its first knockout stage win since the 2002 World Cup. The victory. However, came with a major setback: top scorer Folarin Balogun was sent off in the 63rd minute and will miss the round-of-16 match against Belgium.

Balogun scores and is sent off in controversial decision

Balogun scored the decisive goal just before halftime—his third of the tournament,giving the U.S. a 1-0 lead. But the joy was short-lived. Just after the hour mark. He was shown a red card following a collision with Bosnian defender Tarik Muharemovic inside the U.S. attacking third. The referee. Raphael Claus of Brazil. Consulted the video assistant referee (VAR) and ruled that Balogun had raked his cleats down Muharemovic’s leg and onto his foot, a serious foul play offense.

Balogun, visibly stunned, was consoled by Christian Pulisic and Timothy Weah as he trudged off the field. According to ESPN, Pulisic said the team had to ‘dig deep’ after the red card, calling it a testament to the team’s resilience. ‘It didn’t go exactly to plan,’ Pulisic said, ‘but that just shows what a good team we are.’

U.S. defends well despite numerical disadvantage

With Balogun gone and playing with 10 men for the majority of the second half, the U.S. had to rely on strong defensive organization. Defender Chris Richard acknowledged that the match was far from perfect but said it was ‘our day.’ The U.S. added a second goal later in the match to seal the win, though the specific player who scored the second goal was not mentioned in the reports.

Bosnia-Herzegovina struggled to create clear chances in the second half, and the U.S. managed to maintain control of the game despite being a man down. The controversial red card drew immediate criticism and raised questions about the application of VAR protocols, according to ESPN.

U.S. faces Belgium next in World Cup knockout stage

The U.S. will now face Belgium in the round of 16, though they will have to do so without Balogun, who has been the tournament’s top scorer for the Americans. The Belgium match will be a significant challenge, as Belgium has a strong squad and is known for its technical and tactical discipline.

While the U.S. has advanced beyond the round of 32 for the first time since 2002, it remains to be seen whether the team can overcome the loss of its leading goal scorer and continue its World Cup journey. The controversy surrounding the red card adds another layer of complexity to the team’s preparation for the next match.