USMNT Rondo: Will the Americans beat Bosnia and Herzegovina?

USMNT Rondo

The USMNT are at a point when football really starts to matter, and they will have to be at their best against a tough Bosnia and Herzegovina side.

So now it gets real. The USMNT haven't really had all that much to worry about since June 19, when they battered Australia to win their group. Since then, it's been about squad management, keeping everyone fit, and, in truth, controlling the message. There was a weird dead rubber against Turkiye thrown in, but otherwise, the U.S. have been in cruise control.

And there's no more of that. There really isn't anywhere to hide anymore. The U.S. have done well in group stages before. Knockout soccer has been their failing.

Bosnia and Herzegovina are the opponents, then, and things look vaguely promising. They're a pretty kind opponent, and even if they have shown that they were tough to beat, their attacking quality can be called into question. Still, anything can happen in knockout soccer, and the U.S. will need to bring their best to advance to the round of 16.

It will be a compelling contest, and GOAL's writers break it down in another edition of... The Rondo.

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What do the USMNT need to do to be successful against Bosnia and Herzegovina?

Tom Hindle: Score early. If the USMNT start fast and play the game they want to play, then they should be ok here.

Alex Labidou: This is going to sound like a Hallmark movie or the awful Draft Day movie from 2014 - Bo Callahan is an epic evil quarterback name. But the reality is Mauricio Pochettino’s side needs to not let the expectation of the moment get to them. One could argue, for example, that the U.S. were better than the Ghana side that beat them in 2010, but as the head coach

As Bob Bradley reminisced, sometimes there are factors out of your control when you reach the knockout stages. Some of that is luck, some of that is pressure, and the U.S. need to stick with what worked best for them in the first two games - deliver the first punch. If Bosnia scores first or makes this cagey, it could work against the Americans.

Ryan Tolmich: Do whatever they did against Paraguay! Jokes aside, there are answers there. To succeed, this team needs to press aggressively, but also be wary of the counter. Those counters will happen, of course, and the game might come down to how well the USMNT handles them. If the press is in and they contain the dangerous moments, they’ll be fine.

USA v Australia: Group D - FIFA World Cup 2026

What are the U.S.'s biggest weakness?

TH: The defense! It hasn't really been fully tested yet (and not so sure it will be here, either). But the full-strength unit is yet to be truly pushed. Will that happen here? Probably not for extended periods. Yet they will certainly have moments. Let's see.

AL: The U.S. have some strong pieces on defense, but collectively, they’ve shown they’re prone to mistakes. That can’t happen at this stage. Bosnia and Herzegovina, on paper, aren’t as good as the hosts, but they offer experience in key positions like striker, where they have former Manchester City star Edin Dzeko. One botched pass in the back or failed communication could be devastating for this group.

RT: Probably midfield depth. If something happens to Tyler Adams, what happens? The answer is “nothing good”. The USMNT are banking on that group staying fit and available. Any issue there becomes a huge problem.

ERMEDIN DEMIROVIC STUTTGART

What should they be worried about? Who is the man to watch?

TH: Ermedin Demirovic is sneaky good as part of a front two with Edin Dzeko. He hit double digits in the Bundesliga for a bad Stuttgart last year and has contributed everywhere at a club level. He can't be underestimated.

AL: Mentioned Dzeko already, so why not former New England Revolution highly-regarded prospect Esmir Bajraktarević - who could have lined up for the USMNT instead. Now at PSV, Bajraktarević is seen as one of the most promising young players in Europe. And he has a point to prove.

RT: While the USMNT does have some concerns with Tim Ream’s pace, Bosnian legend Edin Dzeko won’t be one to threaten that. Wingers Esmir Bajraktarević and Kerim Alajbegovic can, though. How will the USMNT cope in moments where those two get loose? That’s the big question.

Türkiye v USA: Group D - FIFA World Cup 2026

Would a KO win make this the best USMNT side of all time?

TH: Player for player? Sure. And if they provide it with a win that means something, then they certainly have a case. Then again, we have short-term memories. That 2002 side wasn't bad, either. Ask the team of the early 2010s, and they'd probably say they were the best.

AL: No, because the teams the 2002 squad beat were legendary - Luis Figo’s Portugal and a strong Mexico side. The U.S. haven’t faced an elite team yet. Now if they do the work potentially against Belgium in the Round of 16, we can revisit this debate.

RT: Not quite. They’d still need to beat a heavy hitter to match 2002, which included wins over Portugal and Mexico. That team also gave Germany hell on the way out. It’s safe to say this team is two wins away from matching that group.

Sergino Dest, USMNT

Who is the X-factor for the USMNT?

TH: Sergino Dest. Pulisic is the best player; Balogun is the goalscorer, but if Dest can get into good positions and offer service, then they have another attacking element that can be very hard to stop.

AL: This is going to be a duh, but Christian Pulisic. You can get through the group as a sum of your parts, but stars are what help you through the KO rounds. And Pulisic, despite Balogun’s recent efforts, is still America’s best player. If he is at his best, the U.S. should win this one pretty handily.

RT: Folarin Balogun. He is the match-winner in the team and, so far, he’s won two matches. That’s a simplification of things, but we’ve seen plenty of times that goalscorers win games - can Balogun score goals?

USA v Paraguay: Group D - FIFA World Cup 2026

Drop a score prediction

TH: 2-1 USMNT. Pulisic with one, Balogun bags the other.

AL: 3-1 USA. Ricardo Pepi finally gets his first World Cup goal.

RT: It’ll be tight, but the USMNT has too much firepower. Let’s say 3-1 with goals from Balogun, Pulisic, and Weston McKennie.