Forward Folarin Balogun scored his third goal of the World Cup on Wednesday against Bosnia and Herzegovina, but also received a red card in the Round of 32 match. File Photo by Christian Brunskill/UPI | License Photo
July 1 (UPI) -- Folarin Balogun manufactured seismic shifts like the nearby rumbling fault lines, fueling momentum before nearly sparking disaster, as a shorthanded United States Men's National Team held off Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday for their first World Cup knockout stage win in 24 years.
The star striker drew first blood in the 45th minute of the 2-0 Round of 32 victory in Santa Clara, Calif. But his 64th minute red card forced the United States to play a man down for more than a half hour to end the game.
An 82nd-minute free kick from midfielder Malik Tillman provided breathing room for the gritty Americans, who will take on Belgium on Monday in the Round of 16. Balogun, the Americans' top scorer, is now ineligible for that match.
"We had to dig deep for that one," forward Christian Pulisic said on the Fox broadcast.
