Bosnia and Herzegovina did not get off to an ideal start to their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign, as far as the first two group matches against Canada and Switzerland were concerned, but they were still able to advance to the knockout stages to set up a Bosnia and Herzegovina vs USA clash in the Round of 32.
Even so, a much-improved, though still far from perfect, performance against Qatar helped the Dragons become one of the best third-place group stage finishers and thus advance to the Round of 32, where they will face the United States.
The Bosnia and Herzegovina vs USA matchup has the makings of an interesting and potentially even epic tie, in which the Balkan side will surely cherish the role of the underdog, while having no reason to hide behind their opponents either.
Bosnia and Herzegovina vs USA: The Balkans Take On The Hosts
The Bosnia and Herzegovina vs USA game takes place on Wednesday, July 1, in San Francisco. It will be the Dragons’ first-ever knockout match at a major tournament as an independent country, and it is likely the biggest game in team sport for the side from the former Yugoslav Republic.
The United States have reached the knockout stages of a FIFA World Cup seven times. They have all the pressure in this matchup, due to the fact that they have the experience at this level, because they are the tournament co-hosts, and since they have the far more recognisable squad, compared to the Bosnian side.
The Dragons, though, have a young and hungry team with so much still ahead of them. It would be foolish to say that they have nothing to lose in what is, after all, a match for a place in the last 16 of a World Cup.
However, it is nonetheless accurate that the Americans have much more to lose in this Bosnia and Herzegovina vs USA matchup, and Sergej Barbarez’s side, meanwhile, have everything to gain.
There is also the Esmir Bajraktarević factor. The promising 21-year-old PSV winger was born in Wisconsin and actually earned a cap for the USMNT before switching his allegiance to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
He chose to represent his parents’ country when it became clear that he would get the opportunity to play alongside his childhood hero Edin Džeko. However, neither Bajraktarević himself nor his captain have had a particularly good tournament so far.
With that being said, if their form could change in the upcoming Bosnia and Herzegovina vs USA match, it would mean the world to him and to millions of people in Bosnia and the diaspora around the world.
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Bosnia and Herzegovina vs USA: The Tactical Approach
Coach Barbarez has said in his press conference after the Qatar game that his team would play the Round of 32 match with the pressure off of them.
Even so, it is still likely that he will revert to a more defensive setup, with Ermedin Demirović playing more of a midfield role, rather than his usual position as a second striker next to Džeko.
The Dragons are far better when they take the initiative in matches and play attacking football. At the same time, the result is what matters here. From that point of view, it will be important to be strong defensively for Barbarez’s men in this Bosnia and Herzegovina vs USA matchup.
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