{"id":2548,"date":"2026-07-02T18:09:58","date_gmt":"2026-07-02T18:09:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/?p=2548"},"modified":"2026-07-02T18:09:58","modified_gmt":"2026-07-02T18:09:58","slug":"masterful-free-kick-helps-us-advance-in-world-cup-after-controversial-red-card","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/?p=2548","title":{"rendered":"Masterful free kick helps US advance in World Cup after controversial red card"},"content":{"rendered":"<article><!-- --><!-- --><!-- WPS-5038 -- removed the script from WPS and added the placeholder for trinity player --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- CONTENT --><!--[--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Malik Tillman gave United States soccer its most important insurance policy in the country\u2019s history.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/?p=2546\">South Carolina rockets past the rest of the South in growth. What\u2019s driving it?<\/a><\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>The 24-year-old midfielder stepped to a free kick in the 82nd minute of Wednesday\u2019s match against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the first knockout stage of the World Cup. The Americans, playing in front of a frenzied crowed on home soil in the San Francisco Bay Area, were down a man and nursing a 1-0 lead.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Tillman planted the free kick in the back net, taking advantage of an open side of the net left by keeper Nikola Vasilj. It pushed the score to 2-0 and let pressure release from a stadium packed with stars and stripes.<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Tillman did it minutes after getting stepped on and needing to replace his right shoe that had a hole in it. He did his postgame media availability with a blood-soaked sock.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ve been dreaming about this game,\u201d Tillman said. \u201cI\u2019ve been dreaming about maybe taking a free kick and scoring a free kick.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Tillman noted he spends time after every training session on free kicks \u2014 exactly like the one that bent over Bosnia and Herzegovina\u2019s wall of tall defenders for the decisive moment of the American\u2019s World Cup run through its first four games.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt was perfect. Their team is huge,\u201d forward Haji Wright said of Tillman\u2019s kick. \u201cI think their average (height) on the wall is 6-6.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Like a number of his teammates, Tillman wasn\u2019t born in the United States. He was born in Nuremberg, Germany. His father, Sheldon Tillman, served in the U.S. military and was stationed in Germany, where he met Malik\u2019s mother, Anja. He holds dual citizenship, allowing him to play on the U.S. men\u2019s national team.<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Tillman\u2019s masterpiece led to the United States advancing to the Round of 16 for the eighth time, including in their fifth straight World Cup appearance. They will play Belgium on Monday in Seattle for a chance to reach the quarterfinals, which Team USA hasn\u2019t done since 2002, its only trip to the final eight in the modern era.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>The goal gave the Americans some much-needed breathing room while Bosnia and Herzegovina went into attack mode after playing on their heels when the U.S. dominated the first half. They threatened to score on multiple occasions in the waning minutes, but it had little consequence with the host team having a two-goal advantage.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<h2>Controversial red card looms large<\/h2>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>The story of the game to that point was Folarin Balogun, who scored a goal in the 45th minute and then was given a controversial red card in the second half.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>His 64th-minute foul, which the Americans believed was unwarranted and accidental, put the host nation in a precarious position despite being heavy favorites to move on to the Round of 16.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>And per FIFA rules, Balogun won\u2019t be available to play against Belgium on Monday. The U.S. is not expected to be able to appeal the decision.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/?p=2545\">First arrest made in shooting that led to shootout with deputies, SC sheriff says<\/a><\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s so unfortunate,\u201d star midfielder Christian Pulisic said. \u201cHonestly, looking back at it, it seems to harsh. &#8230; I just told (Balogun) he\u2019s done so much for us, and now we got his back.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf he misses the next game, it\u2019s ridiculous for something like that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>The red card changed the game from what appeared on track for an easy win to a nail-biter. Balogun got tangled with defender Tarik Muharemovic. Balogun stepped on Muharemovic\u2019s ankle, but it didn\u2019t warrant a penalty from referee Raphael Claus in real time.<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>The video assistant referee called for a review of the play while the two were down getting tended to by trainers, leaving the Americans to nurse their lead down a man for the rest of the game.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Midfielder Weston McKennie said the red card was a hot topic in the locker room.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>\u201cI feel like, obviously, the ref made that decision that he made, but I think it\u2019s questionable,\u201d McKennie said. \u201cThere\u2019s been many other plays throughout the tournament on other players that a card wasn\u2019t given at all. So it\u2019s disappointing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Fox analyst Alexi Lalas after the red card posted a video on X of Argentinian megastar Lionel Messi stepping on an opponents leg earlier in the World Cup and it going uncalled. The video had nearly 900,000 views.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<div> <\/div>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Balogun was the USMNT\u2019s most potent threat in the attacking third by a wide margin and will leave a significant void by being unable to play against Belgium.<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>The U.S. will likely turn to Ricardo Pepi or Wright at striker Monday in Balogun\u2019s absence.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Pulisic looked rusty while getting his first start since the group stage opener when he was subbed out at halftime with a calf injury. He exited in the 87th minute while only taking one shot. He had an apparent goal negated by being offsides moments before Tillman sealed it with the free kick goal.<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Belgium earlier in the day came back from being down two goals to beat Senegal 3-2 in Seattle, capped by a penalty kick from Youri Tielemans in the 125th minute of extra time.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>The U.S. and Belgium will play in the World Cup for the first time since the Round of 16 in 2014, when the \u201cRed Devils\u201d outlasted the Americans 2-1 in extra time while scoring goals in the 93rd and 105th minutes.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think this game showed our character,\u201d Tillman said. &#8220;We will always keep fighting. It showed our character as a group.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/?p=2544\">Merged SC agency for developmental disabilities, mental health cuts 248 jobs<\/a><\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><!-- --><!--]--><!--]--><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Malik Tillman\u2019s 82nd-minute free kick in the San Francisco Bay Area made it 2-0, sending the U.S. to the World Cup Round of 16 against Belgium in Seattle.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2547,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2548","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-national"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Masterful free kick helps US advance in World Cup after controversial red card - 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