SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- First, the good news: The United States men's national team beat Bosnia-Herzegovina 2-0 in the World Cup round of 32 Wednesday night.
Now, the problematic: If the Americans are going to continue advancing, they will have to do it without their top goal scorer.
Folarin Balogun scored what proved to be the decisive goal for the U.S. just before halftime -- his third of the tournament -- but was then sent off just after the hour mark in a controversial decision that will see him suspended for the round-of-16 match against Belgium.
- VAR review: Misapplied protocols leave Balogun wrongly red-carded
- USMNT player ratings: Tillman shines as U.S. advances
"It wasn't a perfect day by any means," defender Chris Richard said. "But it was our day."
The red card came after Balogun collided with Bosnian defender Tarik Muharemovic just inside the U.S. attacking third. Both players were on the ground initially, but then the referee, Raphael Claus of Brazil, was called to the monitor by the video assistant referee.
After watching the slow-motion footage, Claus determined that Balogun had raked his cleats down Muharemovic's leg and onto his foot and ankle, sending him off for serious foul play. Balogun looked shocked; he trudged to the sideline and was consoled by Christian Pulisic and Timothy Weah.
"We had to dig deep for that one," Pulisic said. "It didn't go exactly to plan with the red card, but that just shows what a good team we are. We said in the hydration break, you know, this is what it takes to be a really strong team. And, we were able to do it."
Balogun is the fifth American to receive a red card at a World Cup and is the first player from any country to score and receive a red card in the same knockout game since France's Zinedine Zidane in the 2006 final.
A one-game suspension is the minimum for a red card at a World Cup, and the U.S. cannot appeal that sanction, FIFA sources confirmed to ESPN. A U.S. Soccer spokesperson said it would seek to appeal if Balogun's ban is increased beyond a single game.
"One man's down, the next guy steps up," Richards said. "I think people were asking the same question when Christian went down and the next guy stepped up. So, we're definitely a team. We're more than just one player."
Playing with 10 men, the U.S. did more than simply hold on -- Malik Tillman's gorgeous free kick past the Bosnian wall in the 82nd minute sealed the victory for the U.S., which won only the second World Cup knockout game in program history and first since 2002.
The Americans also ended a 10-game losing streak against European opposition and will now face another European side, Belgium, with a chance at revenge: The Belgians knocked them out of the 2014 World Cup in the round of 16.
The U.S. entered this match in an unusual position -- as the favorite. And despite its historical struggles with European opposition, there was no denying that the U.S. had more talent on its roster and a much stronger showing in the group stage (not to mention a passionate home-crowd advantage).
The early part of the game, though, felt more even. The U.S. controlled play and had most of the ball, but that felt very much like what Bosnia wanted -- the team soaked up the American moves, rotated defenders nimbly and largely shepherded play toward the edges of the field. There were dangerous moments, but as halftime approached, the U.S. had recorded only a single shot on target.
Balogun was among the most frustrated, swiping the ground with his hand more than once. He claimed the Bosnian defenders were constantly pulling his shirt, asked for a penalty he didn't get from the referee and had the ball in the back of the net in the 33rd minute only to have it (correctly) ruled out for offside.
Bosnia surely thought it had done enough to take the match to halftime even. But in the 45th minute, Tim Ream forced a turnover in the middle of the field and sent the ball toward Tyler Adams, who sent a deft flick to Tillman. The midfielder sent a pass through that took a fortuitous bounce -- a Bosnian defender tried to clear it but deflected it off a teammate -- and the ball fell to Balogun, who rolled it under the goalkeeper.
That figured to be Balogun's most memorable moment of the night, but the red card injected some mystery into the game's final moments. Bosnia, at least temporarily, seemed energized before Tillman's first World Cup goal sent the U.S. through with room to spare.
"I've been dreaming about maybe taking a free kick and scoring a free kick," Tillman said. "It's a great feeling and a very proud moment for me."