Pochettino praises USA players after win over Bosnia
Coach of the USA national team Mauricio Pochettino has praised his team’s performance following a 2-0 win in a Round 32 game against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Pochettino who fielded questions from newsmen after the game played at the San Francisco Bay Arena Stadium, praised his team’s maturity and unity, but criticized the red card shown to goalscorer Folarin Balogun.
While reacting to the red card call by the centre referee, he stated: “Never was this a red card. Watching it on TV, never was there intention to step on the player. That was a normal action in football.
“That happened by accident and it’s never intentional. That is why for me it was never a red card.”
The former Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea coach also spoke on his team’s growth: “It’s difficult to describe our feeling, because I think they were amazing… I think the maturity of the team is amazing in the way that we are growing in the last five-six weeks”.
The USA opened scoring in the game through Monaco striker Folarin Balogun who guided a calm strike through Bosnian goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj just before the referee blew the halftime whistle of the game.
The encounter took a twist in the 64th minute when the USA were reduced to 10 men after Balogun was shown a straight red card following a VAR review for a tough tackle on a Bosnian player Tarik Muharemović.
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The USA found a way to score a second goal in the 82nd minute of the game through Malik Tillman who sealed the win by curling a world-class free kick into the left corner despite waves of pressure from Bosnia.
The USA will now play against Belgium at the Lumen Field (referred to as Seattle Stadium during the tournament) in the Round of 16 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Key match statistics: USA Vs Bosnia
Final Score: USA 2, Bosnia-Herzegovina 0
Goals: Folarin Balogun (45′, 64′), Malik Tillman (82′)
Possession: USA 62%, Bosnia 38%
Total Shots: USA 8, Bosnia 8
Duels Won: USA 58%, Bosnia 42%
Red Cards: USA 1 (Folarin Balogun)
