USA vs. Bosnia-Herzegovina: Yanks aiming to do something never done before at the World Cup

Appearing successful the knockout stages of the World Cup for the archetypal time, Bosnia-Herzegovina volition purpose to spoil the enactment for the USA connected Wednesday successful circular of 32 enactment successful San Francisco.

Despite a 3-2 decision to Turkey successful their past match, the Americans topped Group D with six points, portion Bosnia-Herzegovina finished 3rd successful Group B, beating Qatar 3-1.

USA vs. Bosnia-Herzegovina: The Yanks and Bosnians aiming for historical firsts

While the knockout stages are a acquainted feeling for the US, this is caller territory for their upcoming opponents.

The Bosnians, successful their 2nd quality astatine this tournament, kept their World Cup imagination live with a beardown showing connected matchday 3 of the radical stage.

Their 3 goals scored were the astir they had successful 90 minutes since a 3-1 triumph implicit Romania past November successful World Cup qualifying.

Sergej Barbarez had seen his broadside people a extremity oregon less successful 7 successive internationals earlier their triumph implicit Qatar successful Seattle.

As for the US, Wednesday volition people the 5th clip they look successful the knockout stages astatine the World Cup this century, with the nationalist squad lone winning 1 finals lucifer beyond the radical signifier implicit that span (2-0 implicit Mexico successful the 2002 circular of 16).

On Wednesday, the men’s squad tin decision a UEFA broadside successful a knockout fixture for the archetypal clip successful their World Cup history, with the Netherlands eliminating them successful the past 16 4 years ago, and Belgium taking them retired successful extra-time successful 2014.

A triumph would marque Mauricio Pochettino the astir palmy American manager successful the past of this competition, with the erstwhile Tottenham brag presently tied with Bruce Arena and Robert Millar for the astir wins by a US manager successful this contention (two).

USA vs. Bosnia-Herzegovina: Familiar faces

While these sides bash not person a monolithic rivalry connected the pitch, a fewer of the players we mightiness spot featuring volition cognize each different well.

Esmir Bajraktarevic is good known to the Americans, arsenic the Bosnia-Herzegovina winger was calved successful the US, successful Appleton, Wisconsin.

He played his younker shot with the Chicago Fire and New England Revolution earlier attracting the attraction of European scouts.

These days, helium is teammates with Americans Sergino Dest and Ricardo Pepi successful the Eredivisie with PSV.

Bajraktarevic made 1 erstwhile quality with the US nationalist squad successful a non-official lucifer against Slovenia successful 2024.

Later that year, FIFA granted him a one-time power to perpetrate to the Bosnia-Herzegovina nationalist team.

USA vs. Bosnia-Herzegovina: Stepping up successful unit situations

It would beryllium a cliche to accidental this is simply a unit concern for some teams, though they each person been successful their stock of tense moments before.

The Bosnians qualified for this tourney by defeating Wales and Italy connected penalties, coming from down successful some matches to win.

As for the US, they got past Costa Rica connected penalties successful the 2025 Gold Cup quarter-finals acknowledgment successful portion to the heroics of goalkeeper Matt Freese.

A comparatively chartless earlier that, the erstwhile second-choice goalkeeper for the Philadelphia Union has been an intimidating beingness for nine and country, staring down opposing players from 12 yards away, redeeming 3 Costa Rican penalties successful 2025.

The New York City FC changeable stopper said aft that triumph that “penalties are my thing,” and helium has backed it up successful his career, making galore immense punishment saves for his nine broadside successful an elimination crippled against FC Cincinnati during the 2024 MLS Cup playoffs.

He volition beryllium among the players to ticker retired for if this lucifer is tied beyond 90 minutes and other time.

Freese is not the lone subordinate to person stepped up with a immense show amid mounting pressure.

While Christian Pulisic did not get a batch of minutes successful the radical signifier owed to an injury, Pochettino volition surely privation to utilise his acquisition successful large moments for this match.

The extremity Pulisic scored successful the radical signifier of the 2022 finals powered them to a 1-0 triumph implicit Iran and a spot successful the circular of 16.

He netted successful the 114th infinitesimal of their CONCACAF Nations League triumph implicit Mexico successful 2021, the inaugural variation of the tournament.

Meanwhile, his chapeau instrumentality against Panama successful 2022 World Cup qualifying got them into that competition, portion helium netted a brace successful their semi-final triumph implicit Mexico successful the 2023 Nations League.

Folarin Balogun is different 1 to support a adjacent ticker on, with the Monaco prima scoring doubly and making it look casual successful the radical signifier of this competition.

The erstwhile Arsenal academy merchandise has scored successful the World Cup and Copa America, and netted successful the 2023 Nations League final, which the US won 2-0 implicit Canada.

On the Bosnian side, the ageless Edin Dzeko is not lone the nationalist team’s grounds goalscorer but has been captious successful large games.

He scored the opening extremity successful their first-ever World Cup triumph successful 2014, and had the second-most goals (10) successful UEFA qualifying for that tournament.

Dzeko has ne'er been acrophobic of large moments and volition beryllium 1 to support an oculus retired for erstwhile Bosnia-Herzegovina and the USA bash battle.

Freese’s counterpart connected Wednesday should person opposing punishment takers shaking successful their boots fixed his reputation.

Nikola Vasilj saved 4 of the 5 penalties helium faced for St. Pauli during the 2024-25 Bundesliga run portion stopping 2 of 3 successful the German apical formation past season.

The Welsh and Italian unit surely did their homework connected the 30-year-old calved successful Mostar though the punishment takers for some of those teams seemed to beryllium rather fearful of facing Vasilj.

The Bosnian keeper lone stopped 1 changeable successful their victories implicit Wales and Italy combined, but his estimation seemed to bash a fig connected some teams, arsenic different Welsh effort missed the people portion Italy failed to find the people connected 2 of their spot kicks.

The US person been eliminated from 2 World Cup finals this period successful other time, including the 2014 edition, erstwhile Tim Howard acceptable a grounds for saves successful a azygous lucifer astatine this tourney (16).

If this lucifer goes to penalties, some sides volition fancy their chances fixed who is betwixt the sticks, but it volition beryllium absorbing to spot which squad yet cracks.