This wasn’t just about winning the World Cup. It was a solicitation sales pitch to the nation. And the tide is about to turn for the USMNT.
Folarin Balogun shines and sees red with devastating blow to USMNT
USA TODAY Sports’ John Arnold reacts to Folarin Balogun’s impressive performance, red card and suspension as the USMNT prepares to play Belgium.
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SANTA CLARA, Calif. — It’s a gut-wrenching victory for the U.S. men’s national team that has the nation excited.
For those who don’t have it yet.
Playing with 10 men for the final 36 minutes because of Folarin Balogun’s red card, against a high-powered Bosnia and Herzegovina team, the referee was overwhelmed and the USMNT played the kind of mercurial play that Americans love. Especially when it comes to players wearing USA on their chests.
“When you get to 10 men, it’s like an adrenaline rush because you’re like, ‘Oh, shoot.’ If we can get this win and keep them scoreless, it’s going to be even bigger. So everybody’s running everywhere and making tackles and trying to stay in our system because we don’t want to concede a goal,” Weston McKennie said.
“It’s easy to make excuses if they score, but we’re not that kind of team,” he added. “We know what we’re capable of and I’m really proud of all of our players. … I think it’s been very visible throughout this tournament how close this group is, and I think it shows in moments like that.”
The 2-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday, July 1 was the USMNT’s first win in a World Cup finals tournament since 2002, and their third win in history. They advance to the round of 16 and will play Belgium in Seattle on Monday, July 6th.
Their 10 goals thus far are a USMNT record for the entire tournament, and they have kept clean sheets in two of their last three games. It also ended their losing streak against European teams at 10.
If that doesn’t excite you, you must be watching baseball or golf.
Officially, the USMNT won this game because they defended their butts. Remember when the backline was deemed doubtful? And Malik Tillman gave his team some breathing room by scoring in the 82nd minute with a free kick into the top corner. But their tenacity propels them forward, which ends up upending their time.
It’s a holiday weekend. The same goes for Independence Day. By the time Sunday night rolls around, this USMNT win will be the stuff of legend. They will play against a 7-foot Bosnia-Herzegovina player with his arms tied behind his back. They would have been big losers, their flights home already booked.
It doesn’t matter that this is a game the Americans were supposed to win. We’re going to gloss over what the USMNT did on a whim, but that’s what we do as American sports fans. When you fall in love with a team, you put everything on the line. The public, already in World Cup fever, will love this team like the players are family, and no one will tolerate a reality check.
Christian Pulisic said: “There are still things we want to achieve. This is another game and a good performance. And now we have to prepare and prepare for the next game.”
The USMNT always believed in themselves. Manager Mauricio Pochettino’s mantra was “Why not us?” and his players accepted.
“We’ve all talked about it,” captain Tim Ream said. “Everyone says, ‘Why not us?'” “Everyone else is like, ‘Okay, I want to win tournaments.’ Why can’t I? Why not? So it stuck.”
However, here’s the problem. Confidence develops by itself.
If you start with confidence in yourself, win games, and play well while doing so, it’s like a snowball rolling down a hill. It gains momentum and grows and grows and grows. The USMNT was already preying on raucous local crowds in Los Angeles, Seattle, and Santa Clara. The stands at Levi’s Stadium remained full as the team walked around the field for several minutes thanking fans while “Take Me Home, Country Roads” and “Free Bird” blared from the speakers.
Now imagine that the “12th person” is the entire country.
“We want to continue to try to make history. We want to change the sport here in America,” McKennie said. “We’ve done that and we feel like we have an opportunity to make it even bigger.”
A gritty performance like this is a great way to win this country.
