Team USA Soccer plays its round of 32 World Cup match tonight against Bosnia and Herzegovina in Santa Clara. Every time the US team plays, they write a new chapter in their history. With their wins over Paraguay and Australia, they became the first American team to win consecutive World Cup matches since 1930. And they are playing a knockout match at home for the first time since their 1994 match against Brazil.

Team USA, who were flying so high after the first two Group wins, suffered a bit of a letdown in their loss to Turkey. It was certainly to be expected, given that coach Mauricio Pochettino used several reserves to give his starters a rest. Now the team is set to play Bosnia and Herzegovina, a team with upset on their minds. Hopefully, with a healthy Christian Pulisic, they are ready to dispatch Bosnia and move into the round of 16.

Team USA Looks to Regain Form

Team USA’s starting lineup for tonight’s match is..

• GK: Matt Freese
• RB: Alex Freeman
• CB: Tim Ream
• CB: Chris Richards
• LB: Antonee Robinson
• CDM: Tyler Adams
• CDM: Malik Tillman
• AMR: Sergino Dest
• CAM: Weston McKennie
• AML: Christian Pulisic
• ST: Folarin Balogun

The US side hopes to get off to a fast start after struggling early against Turkey. They have potent weapons besides Pulisic in Folarin Balogun and Alex Freeman. An underrated member of Team USA has been midfielder Weston McKennie. He is a versatile player who has the ability to impact every part of the game. He simply does whatever Pochettino asks him to do.

In Team USA’s first two matches, he attacked aggressively and often helped create mismatches for his strikers. He was very effective at flooding a zone and then breaking to the net to create scoring chances for himself. Goalkeeper Matt Freese has been impressive so far, giving up only one goal before sitting against Turkey.

And the backbone of the team is 38-year-old center back Tim Ream. Ream, the captain of Team USA, is the oldest player on the roster and the oldest player to ever compete for Team USA in the World Cup. He brings experience and a sense of calm to a team with several young players competing in their first Cup.

Teammate Gio Reyna said this about Ream. “He gives us a sense of calmness. His experience is the main factor that he holds that can really help this team. He means everything. He’s been around for the last 15 years… he’s definitely someone you can lean on.”

And the ace in the hole for Team USA is Pochettino. Although his tenure with the US team has been rocky at times. Pochettino has shaken up the squad, including introducing a new style of play that has opened up scoring opportunities for players like Pulisic and Balogun. In fact, the US Soccer Federation is rumored to have offered Pochettino a contract extension that would keep him at his post through the 2030 World Cup.

Underdog Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bosnia and Herzegovina’s starting lineup for tonight’s match

• GK: Nikola Vasilj
• RB: Amar Memic
• CB: Nikola Katic
• CB: Tarik Muharemovic
• LB: Sead Kolasinac
• MR: Esmir Bajraktarevic
• CM: Ivan Basic
• CM: Ivan Sunjic
• ML: Kerim Alajbegovic
• ST: Ermedin Demirovic
• ST: Edin Dzeko

The Bosnia and Herzegovina squad has a tall task in front of them tonight. They are competing in only their second World Cup, and their first as an independent nation. They qualified for the Round of 32 by tying Canada, then beating Qatar 3–1 in Group B play. Bosnia is led by its 40-year-old captain Edin Džeko, who has 73 international goals.

Alongside him is Ermedin Demirović, who leads the team with four goals in the tournament. A unique sidebar is that they have scored three goals from corners. This is the most at a single World Cup since England scored four in 2018. They also feature a premier playmaker in 21-year-old Esmir Bajraktarević. He has elite ball control skills and is very dangerous in one-on-one situations.

Prediction

Team USA comes out hot tonight, dominating Bosnia and Herzegovina all night in a 3-1 victory. Pulisic scores twice, with Freeman adding the third goal. The winner of the match goes on to play Belgium, who just won in dramatic fashion over Senegal, 3-2. The match will be played in Seattle