The USMNT showed immense resilience late in the match, digging deep to survive without star forward Folarin Balogun, who was sent off following a heated on-field altercation. Despite the late drama, the Americans secured a gritty victory to punch their ticket to a highly anticipated World Cup Round of 16 showdown against Belgium and Christian Pulisic talked to Tom Rinaldi of FOX Sports.
“Yeah, we had to dig deep for that one. We put on such a good performance and didn’t deserve the red card. I mean, I didn’t see it, but it’s unfortunate. But for us to dig in deep like that, and just to get another goal, and to defend the way we did, it took a real team effort. So we’re proud of that,“ Pulisic told reporters postgame, directly addressing the adversity the team faced immediately following Balogun’s costly red card.
Now, the Americans fully pivot their attention to a heavyweight clash with Belgium, a high-stakes battle with a coveted spot in the quarterfinals on the line. Navigating that challenge will be doubly difficult, as the squad must now find a way to replace Balogun‘s elite offensive production due to his automatic suspension.
Christian Pulisic spoke with our Tom Rinaldi after the @USMNT secured its spot in the Round of 16 with a fantastic win over Bosnia and Herzegovina pic.twitter.com/KIt0LlKsFY
— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) July 2, 2026
What’s next for the USMNT in the 2026 World Cup?
Fueled by immense hope and manager Mauricio Pochettino’s post-game rallying cry—”Why not us?”—the United States is dared to dream of hoisting the trophy for the first time in history as they turn their attention to a massive knockout clash against Belgium.
With the date and venue locked in, the USMNT now has a five-day window to draw up a game plan for a dangerous Belgian squad that just punched its ticket to the next round following a grueling, 3-2 extra-time thriller over Senegal.
