Dzeko proud despite Bosnia's 2-0 loss to United States

Bosnia and Herzegovina exited the tournament with Edin Dzeko still setting the tone, even in defeat. The 2-0 loss to the United States at Levi's Stadium in San Francisco on Wednesday left Bosnia out of the competition, but Dzeko said he was proud of the effort his side produced against a team that finished the night in control on the scoreboard.

The match turned on early American finishing and a missed opportunity for Bosnia after Folarin Balogun was sent off in the second half. Balogun opened the scoring, Malik Tillman added the second, and the United States carried that cushion into a game that Bosnia could not break open even after the red card. The dismissal came after the referee reviewed a stomp on Tarik Muharemovic on VAR and then showed Balogun a straight red.

That moment briefly gave Bosnia a route back into the match, but it never found the decisive response. Dzeko lamented that Bosnia did not make better use of the numerical advantage and pointed to the support the squad received throughout the tournament as a source of pride. The result closed Bosnia’s run, while also sharpening the sense that the team had fought with more structure and belief than the final score suggested.

For the United States, the win sent Mauricio Pochettino’s side into the round of 16, where it was set to meet Belgium on July 6. The victory also stood as the Americans’ second in a World Cup knockout-stage match, a milestone that underlined how much was at stake in a night that ended with Balogun suspended for the next game.

Bosnia’s side of the story was more personal. The report around the match indicated that this could have been Dzeko’s final international appearance, adding another layer to a performance that leaned heavily on the veteran forward’s presence. Even as Bosnia left San Francisco without a breakthrough, Dzeko remained the emotional reference point, a figure whose response after the final whistle framed the team’s exit as one built on effort, disappointment and a clearer identity than the result alone could show.