Pulisic Returns for USMNT's Round-of-32 Match as 5 Regulars Rejoin Starting XI

Q: Can the USMNT's potent attack mask its defensive frailties against a savvy Bosnian team?

Only partly. The United States has enough attacking quality to beat Bosnia-Herzegovina, but its defense looks too vulnerable for the attack to fully cover over 90 minutes. The case for the U.S. starts with personnel and form. Christian Pulisic is back in the starting lineup, Folarin Balogun returns after his two-goal opener against Paraguay, and Mauricio Pochettino has restored the same XI that won that match 4-1. The U.S. has been one of the more productive teams in the tournament, and with Pulisic, Balogun, Tim Weah and the fullbacks pushing high, it should create chances against almost any opponent. The concern is that Bosnia is not a naive underdog. It is widely viewed as organized, physical and tactically disciplined, with veteran striker Edin Džeko still a danger and the team especially threatening on set pieces. That matters because the U.S. has shown defensive instability, with only one clean sheet in a long recent stretch and recurring questions about defending transitions and dead balls. So the likely answer is that the U.S. attack can outweigh the defensive issues, but not erase them. If the Americans are clinical early, they can control the match. If they waste chances or allow Bosnia to turn the game into a compact, physical contest, their back line could come under real pressure. That points to a narrow U.S. win rather than a comfortable one. The attack gives the Americans the edge; the defense keeps Bosnia in the game.

3 articles · Updated · ESPN · Jul 1

Christian Pulisic was restored to the U.S. starting lineup for Wednesday's World Cup round-of-32 match against Bosnia-Herzegovina after a calf injury had kept him from starting since June 12.
The AC Milan attacker aggravated his left calf in the 4-1 opener against Paraguay, missed the Australia match and played only 32 minutes against Türkiye, but said this week he was ready.
Tyler Adams, Folarin Balogun, Chris Richards and Antonee Robinson also returned after Mauricio Pochettino rested them against Türkiye to avoid yellow-card suspensions, restoring the same XI used against Paraguay.
The U.S. has only 2 injured absences left — Mark McKenzie and Cristian Roldan — and is chasing its first World Cup knockout win since 2002; the winner faces Belgium on Monday in Seattle.