US keep World Cup dream alive with gutsy win over Bosnia

Ten-man United States secured a place in the World Cup's last 16 with a hard-fought 2-0 win against Bosnia, marking their first knockout-stage victory in 24 years. The win kept alive hopes for an extended run in the tournament.

In a fast-paced match, Folarin Balogun opened the scoring just before halftime. However, the US faced adversity when Balogun received a red card after the break for a foul. Despite being a player down, Malik Tillman converted a crucial free-kick late in the game, igniting celebrations in the predominantly American crowd.

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I felt we put on such a good performance and didn’t deserve the red card. But for us to dig in deep like that and just to get another goal and to defend the way we did, it took a real team effort, but we’re proud of that.

This victory halted a streak of 10 consecutive losses against European opponents. The US will now face Belgium in Seattle for their next match. Captain Christian Pulisic expressed pride in the team's resilience, stating, "But for us to dig in deep like that and just to get another goal and to defend the way we did, it took a real team effort, but we're proud of that."

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The team showed the qualities, the capacity to compete, to fight for each other. Yes, I am so proud, so proud about the players. They are the heroes.

US coach Mauricio Pochettino praised his team's fighting spirit, emphasizing their ability to compete and support each other. "The team showed the qualities, the capacity to compete, to fight for each other," he said. "Yes, I am so proud, so proud about the players. They are the heroes."

Bosnia's coach, Sergej Barbarez, acknowledged his team's disappointment in not creating more chances but remained proud of their tournament performance. "We should hold our heads up high and we can really improve and build on this," he said.

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We should hold our heads up high and we can really improve and build on this.