Things were going great for the USA, with a 1-0 lead in the second half of their Round of 32 matchup against Bosnia and Herzegovina after Folarin Balogun’s goal late in the first 45 minutes.
But things took a sudden turn in the 64th minute of the game. Balogun, who has been the breakout star for the USMNT in this year’s World Cup with three goals in the tournament, was given a controversial red card after a VAR review.
Balogun appeared to accidentally step on the ankle of a Bosnian player. However, after the referee was sent to the monitor, the star striker was sent off in what was widely seen as a VAR overreach. Suddenly, the USA was down to 10 men and looked like they desperately needed to hold on for a 1-0 victory.
Then up stepped Malik Tillman.
The Bayer Leverkusen midfielder took the responsibility of lining up a free kick from just outside the Bosnian penalty area. And when he expertly curled the ball into the top corner for the USA’s second goal of the game and a 2-0 lead, it sent Levi’s Stadium into delirium.
Enjoy the electric calls on American broadcasters: Fox Sports in English with John Strong and Telemundo in Spanish with Andrés Cantor, as Malik Tillman etched his name into USMNT World Cup lore.
Here is the Malik Tillman free kick from Telemundo with Andres Cantor on the call.pic.twitter.com/lkPcSdi5Cz
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) July 2, 2026
The USMNT would hold on for a 2-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina to win just their second knockout round game in World Cup history. Up next for the stars and stripes is Belgium, which staged a furious comeback to overcome a 2-0 deficit against Senegal with a 3-2 win in extra time. Unfortunately for the USA, Balogun will be suspended for the Belgium game thanks to his red card.
The game will take place on Monday in Seattle at 8 p.m. ET in what will surely be the most-watched soccer game in American television history.
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