US face unpredictable Bosnia test in World Cup round of 32

A confident United States team, aiming for a deep run in the World Cup, is set to face Bosnia and Herzegovina in a last-32 clash on Wednesday in Santa Clara. The U.S. secured early qualification for the knockout rounds by winning their opening two group-stage matches. They will aim to rebound from a recent last-gasp defeat by Turkey in a dead rubber match when they head to the Bay Area.

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They're a difficult team to play against, and they're in the tournament for a reason. They went through a little bit of a conflict to get there and they're just a really tough team. At the end of the day, the game is going to be about us and what we're prepared to do and what need to do to advance.

Despite being heavy favorites, U.S. captain Tim Ream stressed that the team will not take Bosnia lightly. He highlighted Bosnia's qualification victory over Italy, which denied the four-time champions a spot in the tournament, and described them as a "really tough team." Ream emphasized that the game will ultimately depend on the U.S. team's preparation and execution.

Bosnia, known as the Dragons, have built their campaign on strong defensive organization. However, Ream stated that the U.S. is preparing for all possibilities, including an unexpected approach from Bosnia. The Americans are focused on scoring first, a strategy they've employed in their previous three World Cup matches, hoping to energize the home crowd behind their attack, led by Christian Pulisic and Folarin Balogun.

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I don't know that we really expect Bosnia to just be defensive. We have to expect the unexpected.

The match features notable players on both sides. Bosnia is captained by the veteran striker Edin Dzeko, widely considered the nation's greatest player. They also pose threats through physical forward Ermedin Demirovic and young winger Kerim Alajbegovic. Goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj has been crucial for Bosnia, particularly in qualifying and penalty shootouts. Ream noted that the U.S. has placed significant emphasis on practicing penalties and set-pieces, acknowledging their importance in knockout matches where a single mistake can lead to elimination.

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We've been doing a lot of work on penalties. I won't go into that. That's something that we've been working on throughout the week together, even before the tournament started, so that's taken care of really. We know that, especially in the knockouts, one mistake on a set play can send you home. So we're fully focused on all aspects and all phases of the game.