"I am from Bosnia; take me to America." These lyrics from the Bosnian band Dubioza Kolektiv's song "USA" will resonate on Wednesday. Bosnia and Herzegovina will play in the World Cup knockouts for the first time. They face co-hosts United States in the round of 32. The team hopes to continue their dream run in North America.
Bosnia earned their spot in the tournament through a tough playoff. Millions back home waited 12 years to see their country on this big stage. The USA is the favorite in this match. However, they face high expectations and pressure from their home crowd. Bosnia knows an upset is hard but possible. Another underdog has already beaten a favorite in this round.
How Teams Reached the Round of 32
The USA won Group D with six points. They beat Paraguay 4-1 and Australia 2-0. They lost to Turkiye 3-2.
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Start Your News DetoxBosnia and Herzegovina finished third in Group B with four points. They drew 1-1 with Canada. They lost 4-1 to Switzerland. They then won 3-1 against Qatar.
USA Wary of Bosnia's Strengths
The USA won their group, while Bosnia advanced as one of the best third-placed teams. Bosnia's progress is historic, but their defense has been shaky. They have never kept a clean sheet in six World Cup matches. No other team has played more games without one.
Bosnia's strength is their physicality. Coach Sergej Barbarez's squad is the tallest in the tournament. Their average height is 1.85 meters. They have used this to their advantage, scoring three goals from corners.
USA captain Tim Ream is cautious of Bosnia's talent. He noted they knocked out four-time world champions Italy in the qualifiers. Ream said, "They’re a difficult team to play against, and they’re in the tournament for a reason." He added, "We have to expect the unexpected."
Ermin Mahmic leads Bosnia with two goals off the bench. American-born winger Esmir Bajraktarevic is another player to watch. Bosnia's captain is 40-year-old striker Edin Dzeko. He is considered the greatest player in the nation's history. Physical forward Ermedin Demirovic also poses a goal threat. Goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj was key in qualifying and penalty shootouts.
The US hopes to score first for the fourth straight World Cup match. They want to energize the home crowd with an attack led by Christian Pulisic and Folarin Balogun. If they win, it would be only the second US World Cup knockout victory ever. The first was a 2-0 win over Mexico in 2002.
Match Prediction and Details
Opta's supercomputer gives the USA a 67.5% chance of winning. It predicts a 76.6% chance of them advancing by any method. A draw is the second most likely result at 18.3%. A Bosnia win is predicted in 14.3% of simulations.
The match will be on Wednesday, July 1, at 5pm (00:00 GMT on Thursday). It will be held at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium in Santa Clara, US.
Bosnia and Herzegovina’s supporters celebrate in the streets after the team qualified for the World Cup knockouts in March [Elvis Barukcic/AFP]
The winner of this match will play either Belgium or Senegal in the last 16.
This will be the fourth meeting between the USA and Bosnia. The USA is unbeaten in the previous three friendly matches (two wins, one draw). The USA has won only one of their last 21 World Cup games against European teams. Their last win was 3-2 against Portugal in 2002.
Christian Pulisic might start for the USA after recovering from a calf injury. Cristian Roldan is doubtful with a muscle injury. Bosnia has no reported injuries.
Predicted Lineups
USA (4-2-3-1): Freese (goalkeeper); Freeman, Richards, Ream, Robinson; Adams, Tillman; Dest, McKenzie, Pulisic; Balogun
Bosnia and Herzegovina (4-4-2): Vasilj (goalkeeper); Dedic, Katic, Muharemovic, Kolasinac; Bajraktarevic, Basic, Sunjic, Alajbegovic; Demirovic, Dzeko
Kerim Alajbegovic #19 of Bosnia and Herzegovina celebrates with Esmir Bajraktarevic #20 during their win over Qatar in the final group game [Stu Forster/Getty Images/AFP]
