Winners & Losers: What stood out in USMNT’s World Cup win over Bosnia and Herzegovina

It’s in the title, folks. After each USMNT game at the World Cup, Backheeled will dive into the biggest Winners and Losers. Let’s get right to our dissection of the United States’ 2-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina, shall we?

Winner: Malik Tillman

Take a bow, Malik Tillman.

Perhaps the United States’ surprise standout of the summer even before he stepped up to the plate to score a crucial free kick to secure his team a 2-0 victory despite being down a man, Tillman is now at the center of one of the most legendary moments in USMNT history. For the first time since 2002, the U.S. won a World Cup knockout game – and the Bayer Leverkusen man’s set piece strike is what sealed the deal.

After Folarin Balogun’s red card prompted the U.S. to play with 10 and without their initial goalscorer for the final 30 minutes of Wednesday’s matchup with Bosnia and Herzegovina, Tillman and his teammates did well to protect a 1-0 lead. They absorbed pressure in a 4-4-1 block, they milked time off the clock after fouls and stoppages, and, of course, they still pieced together quality in the final third like the goal up above.