INGLEWOOD, Calif. — With Bosnia-Herzegovina’s victory over Qatar on Wednesday, it was almost certain who the U.S. national soccer team would face in the Round of 32.
However, Thursday’s 3-2 defeat to Turkey solidified this matchup as a confirmed eventuality.
The U.S. will consequently take on Bosnia in Santa Clara next Wednesday at 8 p.m, contending for a coveted place in the round of 16.
“They’re a strong side. A Round of 32 clash that’s all or nothing,” remarked Sebastian Berhalter. “We’re gearing up for it. Hoping to see our fans rallying for us.”
This upcoming match marks the USMNT’s most promising opportunity to secure a knockout victory at the World Cup since defeating Mexico to advance to the quarterfinals in 2002, a milestone that remains their most recent success in knockout rounds 24 years onwards.
Since then, it has lost in the round of 16 to Ghana (2010), Belgium (2014) and the Netherlands (2022); this is the first World Cup to feature a round of 32.
Asked about Bosnia on Wednesday, before it became official, Mauricio Pochettino deflected the question, talking instead about the importance of winning Thursday’s glorified exhibition against Turkey.
Having upset Italy to make it to the World Cup before going 1-1-1 in Group B — beating Qatar, drawing Canada, losing to Switzerland — Bosnia will be an underdog, but the U.S. would be foolish to look past it.
Led by talisman Edin Džeko and winger Kerim Alajbegovic, Bosnia has already achieved its best World Cup finish, with a group-stage exit in 2014 being its only other time qualifying since the Balkan nation achieved independence.
Before facing Paraguay in the World Cup opener, the last time the U.S. men’s national team had played at SoFi Stadium, it did so in front of thousands of empty seats.
The seats that were filled at that disastrous CONCACAF Nations League performance were mostly occupied by fans of Mexico, which played the other game in two doubleheaders when the USMNT lost to Panama and Canada.
“Day and night,” Pochettino said Wednesday, when asked to compare the crowd back then to now.
“When you connect, you connect,” Pochettino said. “I think that connection was the most difficult to create. Now when you connect with fans, people are excited and our players, the team is so excited to play tomorrow here and feel the connection, because that’s a unique feeling and emotion. It’s difficult to get in another place, that is the adrenaline that you like to feel in your body when that connection happens.”
Chris Richards, one of four players with a yellow card and thus not expected to play Thursday, said he didn’t expect a long rest before the round of 32 would have adverse effects.
“Fitness won’t be an issue. I don’t think sharpness will be either,” he said. “Obviously it’s good to keep into some sort of rhythm.… I think we’ll be fine next game.”
Cristian Roldan was not listed in the squad Thursday after dealing with a quad injury all week.