The expanded 32-team format at the 2026 World Cup revealed something clear on Monday: favorites no longer get free passes. Germany stumbled. The Netherlands nearly did. Now the US must navigate a Wednesday night knockout clash with Bosnia and Herzegovina in what amounts to the tournament's first true test of character.
Playing at home in the San Francisco Bay Area, the Americans enter as clear favorites. They stormed through Group D, beating Paraguay and Australia to win the group in two games, then rested their stars against Turkey. Bosnia and Herzegovina scraped by with just one point from matches against eventual knockout qualifiers.
But knockout soccer is knockout soccer. One mistake, one moment of sloppiness, and a team goes home.
"It's a World Cup," Christian Pulisic said. "You're never going to get the so-called favorite winning every single time. This is soccer. You can defend all game and win in a penalty kick shootout, and that's the beauty of the game. We have to be ready for whatever's to come tomorrow."
Pulisic, who was on the squad that lost to the Netherlands in the last 16 four years ago, returns to full fitness after a left calf injury sidelined him for portions of group play. He'll lead an attacking contingent stacked with technical players capable of breaking down defensive walls: Weston McKennie, Malik Tillman, and Gio Reyna offer multiple avenues to slice through tight defenses.
Bosnia and Herzegovina earned their spot the hard way. After a draw with Canada and a humbling 4-1 defeat to Switzerland, they rebounded with a win over Qatar. That Swiss loss exposed their vulnerabilities. When Switzerland's technical players found space, Bosnia crumbled.
Manager Mauricio Pochettino has the tools to exploit similar weaknesses. Pulisic made clear the team won't abandon what's worked. "There's a lot of different ways," he said. "I'm not going to give away our whole plan, but yeah, not just being one-dimensional, moving the ball, and trying to find ways to break through."
Defending will determine the outcome. Bosnia will likely funnel play through Edin Dzeko, the 40-year-old Schalke striker who hasn't scored in two group games but excels at holding the ball and creating space for teammates. The Bosnian wingers Esmir Bajraktarevic and Kerim Alajbegovic will test American wing-backs Antonee Robinson and Sergino Dest on the flanks.
Center back Chris Richards won't be fooled by Dzeko's slower pace. "I've played some experienced strikers in my career," Richards said. "He's a guy that I think might be Bosnia's kind of figurehead when you think of their international soccer team. For me, it's making sure that I don't get kind of dragged into his games."
The American defensive line has built its identity on clean sheets and workmanlike defending. Richards spoke with genuine pride about that foundation. "Everybody takes pride in clean sheets," he said. "For us defenders especially, we take pride in blocking shots and heading the ball away. If our goalie isn't doing much in the back, then we've had a successful day."
Richards also sounded a cautionary note about tournament football. "We're not going to go crazy if plan A doesn't work, but we also understand that there are good teams that also deserve to be here," he said. "Mostly, we know that how we played so far throughout the tournament has been very successful, so we're going to try to stick to that."
That restraint separates contenders from pretenders in knockout rounds. This generation of American players has spent years trying to prove the sport's domestic version could compete at the highest level. After a humbling failure to qualify for 2018, they've clawed back credibility through grit and improved quality. Wednesday night demands they maintain both.
Author James Rodriguez: "The US has the talent to handle Bosnia, but knockout soccer punishes overconfidence every single time."
Comments