'Goal and Red Card' World Cup Record Set; USA Crushes Bosnia 2-0 to Advance to Round of 16

*This content was translated by AI.

A record has been set in the 2026 FIFA North America World Cup Round of 32: a player who scored a goal was later shown a red card and sent off. The protagonist is USA national team ace Paulinho Valojan (AS Monaco).

Valojan started in the Round of 32 match against Bosnia and Herzegovina at San Francisco Stadium in the USA on the 2nd (Korean time) and scored a crucial first-half goal in the 45th minute. As he penetrated the space behind the defense, a pass from his teammate deflected off a defender and rolled toward him; he calmly finished with his left foot.

However, Valojan was sent off in the 19th minute of the second half and left the field. He stepped on an opponent's ankle during a challenge for the ball, and the incident was reviewed via video assistant referee (VAR) before being upgraded to a red card. This record of scoring a goal and then being sent off, also known in Korea as the "Garinsha Club," marks the first time in this tournament and the eighth time in World Cup history. Limited to the tournament stage, it is the fourth occurrence, and the first since Zinedine Zidane in the 2006 Germany World Cup, 20 years later.

Despite being reduced to a numerical disadvantage after Valojan's sending-off, the USA held firm against Bosnia's attacks for the remainder of the match. In the 37th minute of the second half, Malik Tillman (Bayer Leverkusen) did not miss a free-kick opportunity from the left side of the arc, striking the ball with his right foot to seal the victory.

With today's win, the USA advanced to the Round of 16 for the second consecutive World Cup, following their 2022 Qatar tournament appearance. The USA had also reached the Round of 16 in both the 2010 and 2014 tournaments but failed to qualify for the finals after being eliminated in the North American qualifiers in 2018.

In the Round of 16, the USA will face Belgium, who advanced after a dramatic 3-2 comeback victory over Senegal in extra time, on the 7th in Seattle, USA. If the USA reaches the quarterfinals, it will be the first time since the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup, 24 years later. However, they must compensate for the absence of Valojan, who will be suspended due to his red card in today's match. The USA head coach is Mauricio Pochettino (Argentina), who previously managed Son Heung-min during his time at Tottenham Hotspur.

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*This content was translated by AI.