STLPR0%
Photos: St. Louis Bosnians grateful for World Cup run as United States knocks team out 24%
By Brian Munoz0% Sarah Fentem57% Charlotte Keene0%
7/2/2026, 10:00:00 AM
Keywords: Fifa World Cup, World Cup, U S Soccer, Soccer, Bosnia, Bosnian Community, St Louis Bosnians, Photojournalism
BS Summary: This article contains 25 faulty reasoning types, including Anecdotal, In-Group Bias, and Halo Effect, with Appeal to Emotion as the most egregious example at 36.3% saturation with 332 hits. Analysis detected 1,613 faulty-reasoning hits from 914 analyzed words, generating a BS Score of 36.9% and a BS Rank of 24% (16,628 of 21,886 articles). This article is better (less manipulative) than 76.00% of the article peer group.
Bosnia and Herzegovina’s historic run in the FIFA World Cup came to a close Wednesday as the team fell to the United States, 2-0, in a physical match at Levi Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
Yet, in St.
Louis, Bosnia fans were grateful for the opportunity to be competitive on the world’s biggest stage.
In fact, their deepest run in the global tournament.
“Just looking out here, seeing the flags, it's just amazing,” said Admir Vrakic, a local attorney and Bevo resident, while at a shoulder-to-shoulder watch party at Bevo Caffe Lounge.
“It’s easy to forget — or to not realize — the community you’re in and just how many people are around you.
But seeing something like [this], it made me emotional.”
Vrakic said while a win for the Stars and Stripes is bittersweet, he is happy to root them the rest of the tournament in honor of his late father Nihad — one of the biggest Bosnia fans he knows.
“For him, Bosnia was everything.
The last time they made it in 2014, seeing him enjoy that, was incredible,” he said.
“He lived and breathed Bosnian soccer.
I wish he were here to see it, but again, I know he's somewhere watching here with us tonight as well.”
In the first half, U.S. forward Folarin Balogun had been the Americans' hero when his 45th-minute goal put the U.S. up 1-0.
But then, in the 64th minute, he had become their reason for despair.
A disastrous red card, given to Balogun for a cleat-first challenge on Bosnian defender Tarik Muharemović, had put the U.S. dreams of a deep run at this World Cup in serious jeopardy.
The Americans would be forced to play down a man for the final 35 minutes of regulation, plus ten minutes of stoppage time, giving their feisty opponents the chance to equalize and upset the hosts.
The run for Bosnia marked the first time in the team’s two FIFA World Cup appearances that they made it out of the group stage.
This is the fourth meeting between the USMNT and Bosnia and Herzegovina — the first in official competition.
In the pair’s first match in 2013, the United States pushed back against a deficit to win 4-3.
In the following two, the USMNT did not allow the Dragons to score, notching a scoreless draw and later a 1-0 win — both 2018 matches in California.
Despite the fact that a majority of spectators at the Bosnia watch party were clad in Bosnia’s iconic blue and yellow, many in attendance said they had their hearts in both countries.
Bosnian artist Halid Bešlić’s 1991 hit “Ljiljani,” an unofficial anthem for the team’s supporters, blasted throughout the south city locale as fans extended their arms and passionately belted out the tune.
Almin Zuko, a 16 year old whose parents are from Bosnia and was born in the United States, was one fan dressed for the occasion: an American flag-printed cowboy hat, a Bosnia jersey and a t-shirt under it celebrating the United States’ 250th anniversary.
Zuko proudly added he has both the Bosnian and American flags on his car.
“I'll root for whoever scores the goal,” he said.
“If it's Bosnia that scores, I'll root, and if America scores, I root for America too.”
Parents who came to St.
Louis as children or teenagers during the Bosnian War in the ‘90s said the country’s second-ever World Cup run gave them a chance to share their heritage with their own kids.
“Oh my god, I feel like the World Cup has been like ten times more exciting with kids, especially our 4 year old,” said Berina Kurtovic, who moved to the United States from Bosnia when she was three years old.
“He's really into it.
He cheers for the team.
He asked us who scored the goals.
He asked us about the players.”
While Kurtovic said she was happy with whichever way the game shook out, her son Alvin was unequivocally on Team Bosnia.
Melissa Kusuran, who had her young son and daughter in tow, agreed.
“Our children are born in the United States, they're United States citizens, they're Americans,” she said.
“So, I feel like this is one of the first times that they're seeing the passion that we talk about.
They're seeing it live, in real life, now.”
Emira Elijazovic was decked out in a Bosnia-themed bandana and eyeblack as she cheered for the team alongside her husband and daughter.
Bosnia’s run has been so thrilling for her that she said it was difficult sleeping trying to decide who she would root for.
“I’m happy either way.
For my country, my people ... we won as soon as we qualified for the World Cup,” she said after the match, tears welling in her eyes.
“I wish I could [have] been at any of those games, but I was here every day.
I was cheering for them and I will every year.”
It is the first victory for the American men in the knockout round of the World Cup since 2002.
The U.S. now advances to the Round of 16, where they will face Belgium on Monday, July 6.
NPR’s Becky Sullivan contributed to this report.
See photos from the Bosnia and Herzegovina watch party by St.
Louis Public Radio Visuals Editor Brian Munoz and USMNT watch party photos at Ballpark Village from STLPR’s Charlotte Keene.
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85%flagged-word coverageAdmir Vrakic
147 attributed words41% of attributed speech62% writer coverage
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