The opportunity to play at home brought huge expectations to Mauricio Pochettino’s side, but it also came with it. After finishing first in Group D with six points, the United States is now three wins away from their best record at the World Cup, but first they must overcome a Bosnia side that has exceeded all expectations.
Team USA got off to an explosive start in the tournament. A thrilling 4-2 win over Paraguay showcased the pace and fluidity of Pochettino’s attacking football, before a 2-0 win over Australia sealed qualification with a game to go. With first place already guaranteed, several main starting players rested in the narrow 3-2 win over Turkey, allowing key players to rejuvenate themselves in the knockout rounds.
The route in Bosnia and Herzegovina is decidedly more dramatic. Sergei Barbarez led the team through a difficult Group B campaign after beating Italy in the play-offs to reach the final. They started with a 1-1 draw with Canada and then lost 1-4 to group champion Switzerland. In the last game of the group stage, Bosnia performed well and defeated Qatar 3-1, accumulating 4 points and becoming one of the best third-place teams in the tournament.
This will be the first official match between the two countries and the first confrontation in World Cup history. The U.S. team is undefeated in its past three games, with two wins and one tie, albeit against international friends.
Much of the spotlight will naturally fall on Christian Pulisic, who has orchestrated much of Team USA’s offense throughout the tournament. Playing alongside him, Folarin Balogun returns after resting against Turkey and is expected to spearhead the US attack. Behind them, the defensive pairing will once again be tasked with dealing with one of Europe’s most experienced forwards.
Bosnia continue to rely on veteran striker Edin Dzeko, whose leadership, physicality and defensive ability remain central to their attacking approach despite turning 40 years old. There’s also an interesting subplot involving Esmir Bajaktarevic, a Wisconsin-born winger who represented the U.S. youth team before switching to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Tactically, this game offers a clash of diametrically opposed philosophies. The U.S. will try to control transition through pace, width and aggressive pressing, while Bosnia are expected to keep their defense compact and then quickly release Dzeko and their wide players on the counterattack.
According to data from the Opta supercomputer, the U.S. team has a 67.5% chance of winning in regular time and a 76.6% chance of advancing. Even so, history has given us a wake-up call. The United States hasn’t beaten a European opponent in a World Cup knockout round since a memorable run to the quarterfinals in 2002, meaning another significant obstacle remains in front of the hosts.
Whoever wins in Santa Clara will head to Seattle for a round of 16 matchup with either Belgium or Senegal.
