For nearly a quarter-century, the United States men’s national soccer team has carried the weight of a stubborn, unwanted label: perennial underperformers in World Cup knockout matches. That narrative is set to face its biggest test on Wednesday night, when the Americans take on Bosnia-Herzegovina at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, aiming to secure their first win in an elimination round fixture since 2002.
The U.S.’s sole knockout victory in modern history came 24 years ago on June 17, 2002, when the team downed Mexico 2-0 in the round of 16 during the co-hosted tournament in South Korea and Japan. In the three knockout appearances the Americans have made since that upset over their regional rivals, they have walked away winless, a dry spell the entire squad is determined to break this time around.
A major boost for the U.S. camp comes as star playmaker Christian Pulisic confirms he is fit and ready to start. Pulisic was sidelined for the team’s second group stage match with a minor calf injury, and only saw 33 minutes of play off the bench in the final group fixture against Turkey, a 3-2 loss that saw the U.S. still clinch the top spot in their group. “I feel good and ready to go for tomorrow,” Pulisic told reporters ahead of Wednesday’s clash. “We understand what it means, you win or you go home. There definitely needs to be a lot of focus and attention to detail this week. But I think the vibe feels good. We’ve still kept it light and we still are going to be ready to battle once the whistle blows.”
For head coach Mauricio Pochettino, the build-up to the match included a public apology to the media for his sharp tone following the Turkey loss. Pochettino opened his Tuesday press conference by acknowledging his frustration got the better of him after the defeat, when he called out reporters for failing to celebrate the team’s already locked-in group title. “I want to apologize to the guys that were in my last press conference,” he said. “I was so frustrated. I was disappointed. I thank you and am sorry. It was my problem, not your problem. I was upset after the defeat.”
Geographically, Wednesday’s match carries a subtle layer of history for U.S. World Cup soccer. The 1994 U.S. host squad advanced out of the group stage and faced eventual champions Brazil at Stanford Stadium, just 15 miles north of Santa Clara, where they fell 1-0. Oddsmakers have installed the Americans as favorites to advance this time around, despite the team’s long-running poor record against European opposition: since returning to the World Cup in 1990 (their first appearance in 40 years), the U.S. has only one win in 21 matches against European sides, with seven draws and 13 losses.
Wednesday’s round of 32 slate features two other high-stakes fixtures: England will square off against first-time knockout qualifiers Congo in Atlanta at noon EDT, while Belgium will take on Senegal in Seattle at 4 p.m. EDT before the U.S.-Bosnia kickoff at 8 p.m. EDT.
England heads into their match facing mounting injury trouble at the right back position, with first-choice Reece James sidelined by a hamstring injury and backup Jarrell Quansah picking up an ankle twist in the team’s 2-0 group stage win over Panama. Head coach Thomas Tuchel, however, remains calm under early tournament pressure, confirming that winger Bukayo Saka—who entered the tournament carrying a minor injury—will be fit to start. Tuchel added that both injured defenders are close to returning, a goal that depends on England getting past Congo first. “They’re getting closer and closer,” Tuchel said. “The race was close even to make it into my squad this time. So we need to make sure that we have more matches. That is the main focus, and then that will be very soon.”
For Congo, this marks the first time the nation has ever advanced to the knockout round of a men’s World Cup. The side pulled off an impressive group stage run, holding powerhouse Portugal to a 1-1 draw before beating Uzbekistan to secure their spot in the round of 32. Head coach Sébastien Desabre said his team is not intimidated by the challenge facing them. “It is true we are looking at a difficult match, but in no way insurmountable,” Desabre said. “We have proven this against teams that were supposed to be superior to us, that we could actually put in a good performance. So we are focusing on our strengths, we are walking our path and once you get to this point in the competition, it’s difficult for everyone.”
Belgium, meanwhile, is looking to recapture the magic of its 2018 World Cup run, where the side claimed a historic third-place finish before crashing out in the group stage in Qatar four years ago. By topping Group G this year, including a 5-1 blowout of New Zealand in the final group match, Belgium has already exceeded its coach’s minimum expectations. “We wanted to finish first in the group stage and we succeeded,” head coach Rudi Garcia said. “Of course we wanted to win more — we know the story of our World Cup so far. Now it is time for the knockout phase. Senegal is a big team. But, you have to beat them, too, if you want to go far in a World Cup.”
The round of 32 will continue on Thursday with three more matches: Spain vs. Austria, Portugal vs. Croatia, and Switzerland vs. Algeria, before wrapping up on Friday with Australia vs. Egypt, Cape Verde vs. Argentina, and Colombia vs. Ghana. The round of 16 kick off will begin this Saturday.