Wednesday night's win by the US men's soccer team was more than a mere victory, writes Nancy Armour at USA Today. It was, she suggests, the "kind of gritty win that's going to make the country go ga-ga" for the team. The US beat Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-0, but they did so while playing with only 10 men for the final 36 minutes after standout striker Folarin Balogun was sent off with a red card. They were up only 1-0 when Balogun got penalized, and they had to shift from playing an offensive game to a defensive one.
"It was the kind of match that showed distinct sides from the USMNT, as well as the ability to manage wildly different challenges," writes Jeff Carlisle at ESPN. Before the red card, the team displayed its new offensive mindset under manager Mauricio Pochettino, and after the red card, they "relied on the kind of tough defending that defined the national team for decades." A stunning free-kick goal by Malik Tillman in the 82nd minute all but sealed the win—the first World Cup knockout victory for the US men since 2002.
Armour argues that this group's "why not us?" mentality, home-crowd energy, and visible closeness could snowball into something bigger—both in the tournament and for soccer's place in the US sports landscape. In the meantime, however, the team has another hurdle to overcome: Balogun (who scored the opening goal) will miss Monday's game against Belgium as a result of the red card, and, possibly, more games after that should the US advance, per the Athletic.
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