WATCH: Malik Tillman’s stunning free kick after Folarin Balogun’s red card sends USA into World Cup last 16 | Football News
The United States has a place in it fifa world cup The 2026 round of 16 ended in drama as Folarin Balogun’s controversial red card threatened to end the match for the hosts and Malik Tillman converted a superb free-kick to seal a 2-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina.With the U.S. down to 10 men and Bosnia pushing for an equalizer, Tillman’s highlight-reel moment sealed the deal and sparked wild celebrations at Levi’s Stadium.
Tillman’s stunning goal seals historic win
The United States looked in complete control after Balogun scored his third goal of the World Cup just before halftime. However, the momentum of the game shifted dramatically in the 64th minute when the striker was shown a straight red card following a VAR review after stepping on Tarik Muharemovic’s ankle.The home side were forced to play with 10 men for the final half hour and came under increasing pressure until Tillman struck the decisive blow in the 82nd minute.The midfielder received a free kick just outside the penalty area and fired a brilliant shot over the wall. Bosnia goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj managed to reach for the ball but could only send the ball into the net and the stadium erupted.Watch the goal here:Notably, Tillman had his right boot replaced shortly before taking the set-piece after battling a bloody toe.“You never know when it’s going to happen. Today, it happened,” Tillman said after scoring the United States’ first direct free kick goal at a World Cup since Eric Wynalda against Switzerland in 1994.
Pulisic praises fighting spirit after red card drama
Captain Christian Pulisic praised the team’s resilience after surviving a nearly 30-minute collapse.“We’ve got to dig deep into that. It didn’t exactly go with Red Card’s plan, but it just shows what a good team we are. We said at the break, you know, this is what it takes to be a really strong team.” And, we were able to do that,” Pulisic said after the game.Meanwhile, head coach Mauricio Pochettino disagreed with sacking Balogun, saying: “For me? There was never a red card.”Balogun will now miss the last-16 tie against Belgium due to suspension, but Tillman believes the squad has enough depth to cope.“Certainly, he’s a great player. We’ve got great players to take his place and do our best and hopefully score some good goals as well,” Tillman said.The win gave the U.S. its second victory in the knockout rounds of the Men’s World Cup and ended a ten-game winless streak against European opponents in the tournament. They will face Belgium in Seattle on July 6 for a spot in the quarterfinals.
Post Comment