Round of 32: USA favorites, Bosnia the hurdle

In the World Cup Round of 32, hosts the USA face Bosnia & Herzegovina. Ahead of the knockout match to be played at Levi's Stadium, the two teams' likely lineups have taken shape. The winner will book their place in the last 16.

The USA reached this round by finishing top of their group. The host side managed by Mauricio Pochettino beat Paraguay 4-1 and Australia 2-0 in Group D, then lost to Türkiye in a game in which they rotated. Playing in front of their own fans, the USA will go into the match as favorites.

Bosnia & Herzegovina, meanwhile, advanced as one of the best third-placed teams. The side drew with Canada in the group stage, lost to Switzerland, and beat Qatar 3-1 in their final match to book their place in the next round. Particularly dangerous from set pieces, Bosnia & Herzegovina could give their opponents difficult moments in that respect.

The match referee will be Raphael Claus. Whether favorites and hosts the USA can reflect their superiority on the scoreline, and how long Bosnia & Herzegovina can sustain their resistance, will decide the fate of the match. The result in the knockout round will directly affect both nations' futures in the tournament. The likely lineups are as follows:

Image: Sports Illustrated

🇺🇸 USA (Pochettino) — likely XI (4-2-3-1): Freese; Freeman, Richards, Ream, Robinson; Adams, Tillman; Dest, McKenzie, Pulisic; Balogun.
🇧🇦 Bosnia & Herzegovina — likely XI (4-4-2): Vasilj; Dedić, Katić, Muharemović, Kolašinac; E. Bajraktarević, Bašić, Šunjić, Bajraktarević; Demirović, Džeko.