Substitutes
Substitutes
Match Preview
- USA return to the World Cup knockout stage for the first time since Qatar 2022's Round of 16, this time with complete home advantage. After topping Group D with three wins (Paraguay, Australia, Türkiye), they face Bosnia and Herzegovina who finished second in Group B (loss to Canada, draw with Switzerland, win over Qatar). Pochettino rotates his XI from the Türkiye match, restoring Pulisic, Adams and McKennie to the starting lineup.
- Edin Džeko's final World Cup chapter at age 40. Bosnia's all-time top scorer (148 caps, 73 goals) brings his Manchester City, Roma and Inter Milan pedigree to bear, with his 193cm frame and two-footed finishing still sharp at Schalke 04. USA counter with the 38-year-old Tim Ream (Charlotte FC) and 26-year-old Chris Richards (Crystal Palace) centre-back pairing to handle aerial threats, while 198cm Matt Freese (NYCFC) guards the net.
- USA's attacking focal point is 27-year-old captain Christian Pulisic (AC Milan), with 32 goals in 84 international appearances. The home tournament's poster boy cuts inside from wide positions and uses his pace to tear through defensive lines. His strike partner Folarin Balogun (24, Monaco) won the Ligue 1 Golden Boot during his Reims loan spell and has 8 goals in 25 USA caps. Can this duo unpick Bosnia's five-man defensive wall?
- Bosnia set up in a compact 5-3-2 defensive block. Wing-backs Sead Kolašinac (Atalanta, 33, ex-Arsenal) and Amar Dedić (Benfica, 23) must contain USA's width. The central defensive trio — 201cm Stjepan Radeljić (Rijeka), 194cm Nikola Katić (Schalke 04) and 192cm Tarik Muharemović (Sassuolo, ex-Juventus academy) — dominate aerially and pose a set-piece threat at both ends.
- Midfield control determines the match. USA's Tyler Adams (Bournemouth, 27) anchors from deep — he was the USA's youngest-ever World Cup captain when he led them through the Qatar 2022 group stage. His double pivot with Weston McKennie (Juventus, 27, 64 caps/12 goals) must nullify Bosnia's 18-year-old prodigy Kenan Aribeković (Salzburg, returning to Leverkusen post-tournament) who orchestrates their attacks.
- USA's 4-3-3 against Bosnia's 5-3-2 creates natural width advantages for the Americans. Sergiño Dest (25, PSV via Barcelona) and Antonee Robinson (28, Fulham, 52 caps/4 goals) push high from full-back to pin Bosnia's five defenders deep. Robinson's Premier League-elite sprint speed makes him particularly dangerous down the left flank, where overlapping runs could prove decisive.
- Bosnia's counter-attacking spearhead is 28-year-old Ermedin Demirović (VfB Stuttgart). The 185cm striker won the 2025 DFB Pokal and made his name as a goalscorer at Augsburg. His partnership with Džeko blends experience with energy, targeting the space behind USA's high defensive line. Goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj (FC St. Pauli, 30, 193cm) helped secure Bundesliga 2 promotion and prepares for a potential penalty shootout in this tight knockout clash.
- USA hold the bench advantage. Giovanni Reyna (23, Borussia MG — son of former USMNT star Claudio), Timothy Weah (26, Marseille — son of Ballon d'Or winner George Weah) and Ricardo Pepi (23, PSV, 35 caps/13 goals) offer varied attacking options. Bosnia counter with 32-year-old Haris Tabakovic (Hoffenheim, 196cm, 13 Bundesliga goals) as their super-sub for late aerial bombardment when chasing the game.