The U.S. Men's National Team meets Bosnia and Herzegovina in a do-or-die World Cup knockout match Wednesday in Santa Clara — and a victory would deliver something this country hasn't seen in 24 years: an American win when the stakes are elimination.
A win over Bosnia would mark the first World Cup knockout victory for the U.S. since 2002 and snap a 10-match winless streak against European opponents dating back to 2021. That drought matters. For ordinary Americans who still believe national pride means something, watching their team fold every time it faces the continent that birthed the sport is a sore spot that won't heal on its own.
The Americans are favorites on paper. Bosnia is ranked No. 64 by FIFA and needed upset penalty-shootout wins over Wales and Italy just to reach this tournament. But Bosnia has proven lethal from the spot, and the U.S. has proven it can lose to anyone from Europe. As Yardbarker noted, the U.S.
