Malik Tillman of the United States celebrates victory after the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 match between USA and Bosnia and Herzegovina at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium on July 1, 2026 in Santa Clara, California. Getty Images

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Damned if they don’t keep checking off boxes and breaking down doors. 

The door the U.S. men’s national team busted down Wednesday night in a nervy 2-0 Round of 32 win over Bosnia-Herzegovina in the World Cup was the heaviest door it’s encountered in years — maybe the heaviest ever. 

Despite the cool exterior the U.S. players exuded in the days before kickoff — “Would it be weird if I told you I don’t really feel too much pressure right now?’’ veteran defender Tim Ream had said — there was tension entering the night for the USMNT. 

The U.S., historically the plucky underdog in these knockout matches (see: the Netherlands in ’22, Belgium in ’14, Brazil in ’94), was the decided betting favorite to beat Bosnia-Herzegovina and win a knockout round match for the first time since 2002.