Mauricio Pochettino’s stars return to full strength in California, seeking victory over a physical Bosnian side to advance further in their home World Cup.
After acing the group stage, the US find themselves facing Bosnia and Herzegovina in their opening knockout game, and will be viewed as comfortable favourites going into the fixture. Although the co-hosts lost their final game in Group D, it was a heavily rotated side fielded by Mauricio Pochettino, and it has not deterred the belief amongst Americans.
The co-hosts dominated their first two games of the competition, making easy work of Australia and Paraguay, putting four past the latter in the opening game of Group D. This result looks even more impressive after La Albirroja knocked out four-time champions Germany on penalties, producing the first major upset of this year's World Cup.
On the other side of the tie, Bosnia and Herzegovina qualified through a third-place finish in Group D and are coming off a 3-1 win over Qatar that should give them some confidence going into a tough match.
Despite not having the star power the US possesses, the Bosnians are tough to break down as a unit and should not be underestimated by the States.
It is a match-up that should provide an interesting game of football, with US fans in California likely to turn up in their numbers and create an atmosphere that their players can feed off.
USA v Bosnia and Herzegovina | Head to Head
It is the first time the two nations will ever face each other on a competitive level, having only met on three previous occasions, all being friendlies. The USA have never lost to Bosnia, picking up two wins and a draw, with the two sides last facing off in 2021 where the States came away 1-0 winners.
The Stars and Stripes will be slightly worried about their form against European nations, having lost 10 straight games against countries across the pond. Their only win against a European nation in the last decade came against Northern Ireland all the way back in 2021.
In terms of how each side will play, Pochettino will deploy his aggressive pressing strategy that was so effective in the opening two matches. Adopting a 4-2-3-1 formation will allow for the Argentinian to focus play down the flanks, and look to utilise the rapid pace of Christian Pulisic and Sergino Dest to breakdown the Bosnian backline.
Being on home soil, the Stars and Stripes will want to dominate the ball and put on a show for their fans, players like Folarin Balogun in particular will be hoping to get himself back on the scoresheet and in good form for the rest of the knockouts.
Sergej Barbarez is a manager who focuses on physicality and defensive organisation to frustrate opponents. The 54-year-old has the tallest squad in the competition with an average height of 6-foot-1, which he has put to good use, as Bosnia have scored three goals from corners already. The last team to score more in a World Cup was England in 2018, with four.
Barbarez utilises a 4-4-2 formation, an old-school system that suits his style-of-play perfectly, and allows for an extremely rigid structure that many sides may struggle to break down. Veteran forward Edin Dzeko leads the line, and provides invaluable experience to his side, especially now we have entered the knockout rounds.
Team News
Mark McKenzie is the only doubt for the hosts, after receiving treatment for a knock he picked-up during the USA's defeat to Türkiye in their final group game. Both Auston Trusty and Cristian Roldan have began individual training after picking up minor knocks, and are expected to be available for the round of 32 fixture.
Pochettino is expected to revert back to a similar team that was fielded against Australia or Paraguay, after making nine changes in the final group stage game which ultimately was a large reason for defeat.
Weston McKennie is the only US player to start every fixture so far in this year's competition, demonstrating the trust Pochettino has in the 27-year-old. His partnership with Malick Tilman in the States' opening two games stood out as particularly impressive, being at the heart of every one of their sides key attacks.
Balogun is expected to return to the starting lineup, and will have a tough battle against Nikola Katic, who will look to bully the Monaco forward out of the game. It is a match-up that will play a pivotal role in whether or not the US manages to cruise past the Bosnians, and should provide an interesting rivalry throughout for spectators.
Bosnia and Herzegovina go into their first ever World Cup knockout game with a clean bill of health, as they look to cause an upset and send the US packing in their own backyard.
The Dragons' winger Esmir Bajraktarevic has a unique link to both countries, as the 21-year-old was born in the USA, even making his first international cap for the States in 2024 during a friendly against Slovenia. The PSV attacker switched allegiances a few months later, and now will be looking to knock out the very nation he was born in.
Prediction
The US go into the match as obvious favourites, playing at home combined with an impressive group stage performance leads many to believe they will make easy work fo Bosnia. However, the Dragons are a physical, well-drilled side that could cause pose the hosts some questions.
The Bosnians will take inspiration from Paraguay's giant-killing, and will arrive in California as the side without any pressure. They will look to sit deep and frustrate the star studded US attack, aiming to nick a goal on the break or take the game to penalties.
An early goal forces the Bosnians out of their defensive shape and creates space for the States' talented offensive players to attack, but the longer the Dragons can hold out for, the more frustrated the Stars and Stripes will get.
The USMNT carry all the expectation, but have already played against sides that sit deep, beating both comfortably. It's this experience which leads me to believe the US should put aside Bosnia relatively comfortably, but it may not be a high-scoring affair.
Final Score: USA 2 - 0 Bosnia and Herzegovina
