The U.S. has its biggest World Cup win in a generation. Now it must do it all again without its star forward. - BERITAJA

Balogun’s cleat raked the backmost of a Bosnian opponent’s calf arsenic some lunged for the ball, starring to a reddish paper that Pochettino powerfully disagreed with, saying Balogun ne'er intended to injure his opponent.

Pochettino wanted to entreaty the card, until he was told it was not imaginable wrong FIFA rules.

“He’s very disappointed,” Pochettino said of his prima forward. “He’s sad. But besides he’s happy because we qualified.”

The pro-U.S. crowd went quiet, past roared pinch boos, aft the reddish paper because it recognized the decision’s long-reaching damage.

The U.S. was not only down to 10 men for the last 35 minutes Wednesday, but it will besides play without Balogun against Belgium because a reddish paper triggers a one-game suspension. Balogun was not made disposable to speak pinch reporters aft the match, a U.S. spokesperson said, citing a FIFA rule.

“We told him that we’ve sewage his back,” defender Chris Richards said. “We cognize we’re a squad of 26, not conscionable one.”

The emotions of U.S. players, already charged playing connected location soil, could person turned against them.

“How they managed the situation,” Pochettino said, “was amazing.”

Perhaps that was because they person done it before.

When a calf wounded sidelined Christian Pulisic midway done its first crippled of the group stage, the U.S. closed retired that win, past shutout Australia successful its adjacent crippled arsenic Pulisic stayed retired of the lineup.

Pochettino said the U.S. would take from “different options” to switch Balogun against Belgium. One candidate, Hadji Wright, said he would beryllium fresh if called upon.

Balogun reacts aft receiving a reddish paper during the 2nd half of the lucifer betwixt United States and Bosnia and Herzegovina connected Wednesday. Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

“One-hundred percent assured successful the boys,” Wright said. “We’re a gritty team. We cognize what to do successful those situations.”

Said Pulisic, successful a post-match question and reply pinch FOX: “For america to excavation successful heavy for illustration that and get different extremity and to take sides for illustration we did, it took a existent squad effort. We’re proud of that.”

That squad effort required the 2nd shutout of the tourney for a defense that was seen arsenic a imaginable anemic nexus entering the World Cup.

That portion will now scheme for a Belgium squad that won by coming backmost from a 2-0 shortage by scoring successful the 86th and 89th minutes and past the last moments of other time. The Red Devils boast well-known — if aging — stars for illustration Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku and Leandro Trossard.

A triumph besides took Tillman’s breakout moment.

Raised successful Germany, wherever he now plays professionally, Tillman was asked earlier the World Cup began to play successful a somewhat different domiciled successful the midfield.

Teammates had praised his effort during the tournament, and Pochettino has called him “an astonishing subordinate afloat of talent,” but his contributions had gone mostly under-the-radar, befitting his reserved personality. Until Wednesday, aft his cold-blooded goal.

“I’m a different type of personification connected the pitch,” Tillman said. “Maybe you don’t really spot my emotions, but if you people a extremity for illustration this, I deliberation you guys saw my emotions.”

Tillman smiled slyly. More important, he said, was that connected Wednesday, the U.S. saw it could triumph successful adverse conditions.

“Of course, we’re going to miss (Balogun),” Tillman said. “But I deliberation we person awesome players who could switch him.”