Folarin Balogun had the stamp of approval from NBA legend LeBron James – then, 14 minutes later, a red card from referee Raphael Claus. The former Arsenal striker’s rollercoaster evening in Santa Clara ended with him walking off early, but not before his goal and Malik Tillman’s magnificent free‑kick had propelled the United States into the World Cup last 16 with a gritty 2‑0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Balogun thought he had opened the scoring in the 31st minute, slotting home a left‑footed effort and instantly unleashing James’s iconic “Silencer” celebration – a combination of stomping, chest‑tapping and screaming. But the goal was ruled out for offside. Undeterred, he found the net again 14 minutes later, this time legally, and repeated the celebration. James himself took to X to acknowledge it: “LFG!!!!!! THE [Silencer] HAS [landed] at the World Cup! Helluva goal there Young [king]! GO [USA].”
“Folarin Balogun scores and is sent off as USA beat Bosnia 2-0 to reach World Cup last 16.”
Yet the night turned sour early in the second half. Balogun was sent off after a lengthy VAR check for a challenge on Bosnia defender Tarik Muharemovic. The referee initially showed no card but was instructed to review the pitchside monitor; what appeared a seemingly innocent collision saw the US striker land a foot on his opponent’s ankle. Weston McKennie’s face betrayed total disbelief, and Mauricio Pochettino waved his hands towards the sky, incredulous. “So proud of all my players,” Pochettino said after the game.
Just when the US’s high‑flying journey felt like impending doom, Tillman stepped up. His magnificently placed free‑kick from the edge of the box sealed the win in a sweltering San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, the temperature soaring on a previously cool evening. The victory sends the co‑hosts into a last‑16 meeting with Belgium on Monday in Seattle – exactly 12 years to the day since the US lost in extra time to the same opponents at the 2014 World Cup.
“We had to dig deep for that one,” said Christian Pulisic, who had an early shot blocked but was otherwise quiet. “It didn’t go exactly to plan with the red card, but that just shows what a good team we are.”
Balogun’s goal was his third of the tournament, but the suspension means he will be unavailable against Belgium. The US, however, have won a World Cup knockout match for the first time since 2002 – a feat that vaults Pochettino’s team into a different conversation entirely.