The U.S. Men’s National Team is moving on at the 2026 World Cup after a 2-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Round of 32. But this wasn’t some tidy, predictable victory. It had disallowed goals, a brutal red card, some truly questionable refereeing, and a U.S. side that refused to fold under pressure.
Here are the player grades from that match — starters, subs, and manager Mauricio Pochettino.
Starters: Who Stepped Up and Who Just Showed Up
Matt Freese — 6
Freese made a couple of early saves that kept the game level, and he finished with a clean sheet. But he also had some nervy moments — misplaying balls off set pieces, getting caught out of position. The defense bailed him out more than once. Solid, but not special.
Tim Ream — 8
The 38-year-old center back turned in a vintage performance. Ream doesn’t need to be fast when the opponent is more physical than quick, and he used that to his advantage. He made a desperate, last-ditch challenge late in the game that probably saved a goal. Smart, reliable, exactly what you want in a knockout game.
Chris Richards — 8
Richards is the best defender on this team and he showed it again. The Crystal Palace man was always in the right spot. He blocked a shot late when Freese wandered off his line, covering for his keeper like a good center back should.
Alex Freeman — 7
Freeman was steady defensively but not as dangerous going forward as he’s been in other matches. That was true even before Balogun got sent off. A few turnovers kept him from rising to the level of Ream and Richards, but it was still a good night’s work.
Sergino Dest — 6
Dest is on the field for his offense, but Pochettino trusted him to stay on for nearly 25 minutes after the red card because his defensive work was decent. That says something. His attacking contributions weren’t especially memorable, but he didn’t hurt the team.
Antonee Robinson — 7
Robinson was solid on both ends. He pushed the ball down the wing when he had space and dropped into a deeper spot when Bosnia tried to build through the middle. His pressing on their midfielders disrupted a lot of their rhythm early.
Tyler Adams — 8
Adams got hammered all game. Bosnia targeted him physically, hitting him every chance they got. Edin Dzeko threw a blind pick on him that somehow didn’t draw a card — one of several baffling calls from the ref. Adams didn’t flinch. He survived the abuse and kept playing well.
Weston McKennie — 9
McKennie was the best player on the field. He did everything: defended, built play, created chances in the final third. He assisted Balogun’s goal and probably could have had another assist if finishing had been sharper around him. Man of the match stuff.
Malik Tillman — 8
Tillman scored the goal that made the highlights, but his passing in the final third deserves just as much attention. He would have had another assist if not for an offside flag. It’d be nice if he looked for his own shot a little more, but that’s a small complaint after a game like this.
Christian Pulisic — 6
Captain America had a quiet night, partly by design. The game plan seemed to focus attacks down the right side, leaving Pulisic isolated on the left for long stretches. He did put one in the net, but it was called back for offside. A relatively average performance from a guy still working his way back from injury.
Folarin Balogun — 9
The red card was terrible — Alexi Lalas called it “crap” and he wasn’t wrong. But before that, Balogun scored a great goal and looked dangerous every time he touched the ball. He’ll be missed against Belgium in the next round. That red card is a gut punch for a guy who was playing this well.
The Subs and the Manager
Sebastian Berhalter — 6
First sub off the bench again. He played his role in limited minutes and helped preserve the clean sheet. Nothing flashy, nothing wrong.
Ricardo Pepi — 5
Pepi did the thing he always does — made runs to pull defenders away from the real threats. But he never looked like a genuine scoring threat himself. That’s been the story of his tournament so far.
Gio Reyna — N/A
Reyna came on in the 94th minute of a match with 10 minutes of stoppage time. Not enough time to judge anything.
Mauricio Pochettino — 9
Another excellent game plan from Pochettino, followed by smart in-game adjustments. His best decision might have been holding off on substitutions until deep into stoppage time. He’s got these players believing in themselves, too. You can hear it when they talk — they actually think they can do something special here.
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