The US men beat Bosnia and Herzegovina in the round of 32 to win their second World Cup opener.

The United States advanced to the round of 16 after beating Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-0, only their second win The knockout round of the World Cup Of course a group of men – but a controversial red card will leave the national team without their key player for the next game.

Folarin Balogun scored the go-ahead goal in the 45th minute, sending the US into the half with a 1-0 lead. Balogun looked to have given the US a goal in the 31st minute, but was called offside, and another chance late in the first half went wide of the goal.

But Balogun was sent off in the 64th minute after he challenged Bosnia’s Tarik Muharemović and went down with his foot, spraining his ankle – leaving the US down a man for the rest of the game.

“We had to go deep and get that one,” said star Christian Pulisic. “It wasn’t good planning with the red card, but that shows how good a team we are. We said during the hydration break, you know, this is what it takes to be a strong team. And, we were able to do it.”

Malik Tillman added the US’s second goal in the 81st minute on a free kick from just outside the penalty area.

The Americans achieved their second World Cup victory. They reached the semi-finals of the first tournament in 1930 by winning their group and won the round of 16 against Mexico in 2002.

Bosnia’s victory in the round of 32 of this year’s expanded tournament will see them face Belgium on Monday in Seattle as the US hopes to make a deep run on home soil. The Red Devils beat the US 2-1 in extra time in the 2014 round of 16.

Balogun leads the US with three goals, but will miss the Belgium game due to an automatic red card suspension, assessed by Brazilian referee Raphael Claus after a video review. Balogun stepped on Muharemovic’s ankle, apparently unintentionally.

“For me? Never have a red card,” said Mauricio Pochettino, the first US coach to win three World Cups.

Balogun tied Landon Donovan in 2010 for the second most goals by an American in the World Cup, behind only Bert Patenaude’s four in the inaugural tournament in 1930.

“Yeah, he’s a great player,” Tillman said. “We have very good players who can replace him, and give the best they can, and hopefully they will also score good goals.”

Tillman changed his right boot just before scoring the US’s first World Cup goal on a free kick since Eric Wynalda in the opening game against Switzerland in 1994. Tillman had a bloody sock on his big toe.

“You never know when it will happen. Today, it happened,” he said.

The game was played less than 20 miles from the site of the first US qualifying round match of the modern era, when the Americans lost 1-0 to Brazil at Stanford Stadium in 1994.

The US got the favor for the first time on record in a playoff game and it didn’t disappoint the red, white and blue crowd at Levi’s Stadium who were chanting “USA! USA!” in the closing minutes.

The win snapped the US’ 10-game losing streak against European teams that are tied with England at the 2022 World Cup. It was the first World Cup victory for the Americans against a European team since they defeated Portugal in the opening game in 2002. They are winless in 13 consecutive World Cups against European sides since then, including a 2-1 extra-time loss to Belgium in the round of 16 in 2014.

The US got off to a fast start in the group games by scoring in the first 15 minutes in all three games. But it was Bosnia who had the better of the chances early on, with Matt Freese needing to make two early saves to stop Ermedin Demirovic following a tricky goal kick that caught the US defense off guard and a corner Kerim Alajbegovic almost headed home.

Balogun then took over from there. Tim Ream blocked the Bosnia goal in midfield and Tillman found Balogun in the box. He slid in a left-footed shot for his third goal of the tournament – one shy of the US men’s World Cup singles record set in 1930 by Bert Patenaude.

He wrote it in his celebratory version of the LeBron James Silencer, which drew a positive response from King James himself.

“We thought the goal was due to our mistakes,” Bosnia coach Sergej Barbarez said through a translator. “Unfortunately things like that happen but at this level they are punished quickly.”

Balogun almost scored again in the first half but his close shot hit the crossbar and went out of play.

Bosnia’s second trip to the World Cup was a success with a draw against Canada in the first game and a win over Qatar which helped the team advance to the knockout round for the first time.