A puff of the cheeks, a drop of the shoulders and a sumptuous dipper to seal the deal. It may have been somewhat of a surprise when, eight minutes from time and 20 yards out, Christian Pulisic did not step up to take a free-kick just outside the Bosnia and Herzegovina penalty area. But midfielder Malik Tillman, born in Germany and eligible for the US through his father, made a mockery of such thoughts and, with it, secured American progression to the last-16 of the World Cup 2026. Their World Cup.
It is a first knockout victory in 24 years and just their second in World Cup history. And yet, five days out from a rip-roaring last-16 tie against Belgium, there is a rather big but.
