The United States booked their place in the Round of 16 with a 2-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The co-hosts overcame a setback after going down to 10 men midway through the second half, but Bosnia rarely threatened to mount a comeback.
Instead, Mauricio Pochettino’s side stayed in control and even added a second goal despite their numerical disadvantage.
Here are our Scout Notes from the game, featuring match stats from our World Cup Toolkit page.
UNITED STATES 2-0 BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA
- Goals: Balogun, Tillman
- Assists: Dest
- Shot on target bonus: Demirovic
- Tackle bonus: Tillman, McKennie
- Top points scorers: Tillman (13), Freese (10), Dest (10)
TEAM STATS
PLAYER STATS
SCOUT NOTES
- After heavy rotation in Round 3, the USA returned to full strength. The only change from their Round 2 line-up saw Christian Pulisic ($7.0m) come back in, having recovered from his recent injury. Bosnia, meanwhile, switched to a back five for the first time in the tournament. Their most significant change saw Amar Dedic return after shaking off his own fitness issue.
- The overall match statistics were mixed. Bosnia finished with more possession and more attempts on goal, while the USA produced more xG (expected goals) and created the better chances. Context matters, though. Before the red card, the USA had dominated every key metric.
- Bosnia struggled to create anything clear, even with the extra man. Edin Dzeko tested the goalkeeper early on, while Kerim Alajbegovic caused a nervy moment with a curling corner that the USA goalkeeper punched away. Ermedin Demirovic then dragged a poor effort off target. Late substitute Amar Memic also had two attempts, but neither troubled the goalkeeper.
- The USA claimed their second clean sheet of the tournament. That offers some encouragement for Fantasy managers looking at their defence. After the match, manager Mauricio Pochettino praised the defensive display, saying:
“I think it’s about to praise the player… in different period how we identify the situations, when to play, when to fight, when to compete, when to be intelligent in how we defend deep and narrow, when we needed to go and to press. I think the maturity of the team is amazing…”
- Folarin Balogun ($6.0m) looked like the USA’s biggest threat, especially in the opening hour. Early on, Malik Tillman ($6.1m) won the ball high up the pitch and slipped Balogun through, who finished well with his left foot. The goal didn’t stand, though, after an offside flag. Balogun responded moments later. Tillman poked a through-ball forward, a deflection sent it kindly into Balogun’s path, and the striker calmly fired through the goalkeeper’s legs to make it 1-0.
- His afternoon soon took a turn. A late challenge on an opponent, although accidental, earned Balogun a red card following a VAR review. The dismissal didn’t stop the USA seeing out the win, but it does rule him out of the next match – and maybe more if FIFA decides it warrants extra punishment. There are no ‘appeals’ in the World Cup, either. Fantasy managers will now have to consider alternative forward options.
- Tillman also produced an excellent display. He thought he had an assist early on, but several defensive touches before the goal denied him the return. He then combined brilliantly with Weston McKennie ($6.1m), only for Pulisic to see his finish ruled out for offside. Tillman finally got the reward his performance deserved. After Sergiño Dest ($4.3m) won a free-kick just outside the Bosnia penalty area, the midfielder curled a superb effort into the bottom corner to secure a deserved 13-point haul. Once viewed as a squad player, Tillman has now become a key figure in central midfield. After the match, Pochettino highlighted both his quality and his excellent free-kick, saying:
“Yeah, it was amazing. I think Malik is an amazing player full of talent and we knew that he has that talent on the free kick and time to do what he did. So happy for him. Tough season for him in Leverkusen, but I think now he’s enjoying and we are enjoying and the fans are enjoying his football.”
- Pulisic’s disallowed goal was the closest he came to an attacking return during his 88 minutes on the pitch. His underlying numbers were underwhelming too. He finished the match with an xGI (expected goal involvement) of just 0.11, which may concern some Fantasy managers. Pochettino made no mention of either Pulisic’s performance or any fitness concerns after the match.
- Dest rewarded his owners with a 10-point haul. The clean sheet and Scouting Bonus also benefited owners of Antonee Robinson ($5.0m), Chris Richards ($4.1m), Tim Ream ($3.9m) and goalkeeper Matt Freese ($4.2m). Dest still stands out, though. His second assist of the tournament and advanced role continue to make him the go-to USA defensive option.
- The USA also came through the match without any fresh injury concerns. It’s a much-needed boost as they prepare to take on Belgium, who are yet to convince. We’ve seen little from the Belgians this summer to suggest that USA assets are worth ditching in the Round of 16.
