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The United States shut out Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-0 on Wednesday, overcoming a second-half red card for Folarin Balogun after the striker had opened the scoring.
The victory sends the U.S. into the last 16, where it will face Belgium as it chases its first World Cup quarterfinal appearance in more than two decades.
The Americans reached the knockout stage after winning their opening two group matches before closing out the group phase with a 3-2 loss to Türkiye.
Bosnia started brightly, with captain Edin Dzeko and Ermedin Demirovic testing the U.S. early before the hosts gradually took control. Balogun had a penalty appeal waved away and later saw an effort ruled out for offside as the Americans pushed for the opener.
The breakthrough finally came in first-half stoppage time. Tim Ream intercepted a Bosnia goal kick and quickly fed Malik Tillman, who slipped a pass into Balogun's path. The striker rounded goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj before slotting into the empty net for his third goal of the tournament.
The match turned in the 64th minute when VAR reviewed Balogun's challenge on Tarik Muharemovic. Referee Clement Turpin upgraded the striker's yellow card to a straight red after determining he had stamped on the defender's foot, leaving the U.S. to play the final half-hour with 10 men.
Bosnia pushed forward in search of an equalizer, but the Americans held firm. Pochettino gathered his players during a hydration break following the dismissal, urging them to stay united under pressure.
Tillman sealed the victory in the 82nd minute, curling a free kick over the wall and beyond Vasilj to double the lead. Bosnia nearly pulled one back deep into stoppage time, but Haris Hajradinovic's effort drifted just wide as the U.S. closed out the clean-sheet victory.
Earlier the same day, Belgium secured its place in the last 16 with a dramatic 3-2 extra-time victory over Senegal, overturning a two-goal deficit to set up a meeting with the United States.
Senegal took the lead in the 24th minute when Habib Diarra converted the rebound after Ismaila Sarr's header struck the post. The Lions of Teranga carried that momentum into the second half, doubling their advantage in the 51st minute as Sarr controlled Moussa Niakhate's long pass before firing past Thibaut Courtois.
Belgium's comeback began in the 86th minute when Romelu Lukaku turned in Thomas Meunier's cross. Three minutes later, captain Youri Tielemans headed home the equalizer after battling through defenders inside the box, sending the match into extra time.
With penalties looming, Tielemans won a spot kick after a lengthy VAR review ruled that Lamine Camara had fouled him inside the area. The Belgian captain converted from the spot in the 125th minute to complete the comeback and send Belgium through.
The teams will meet on July 6 in Seattle in a rematch of their 2014 World Cup Round of 16 encounter, when Belgium claimed a 2-1 extra-time victory in Brazil.
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