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SAN JOSE, Calif. — Shrieks of laughter echoed around an empty PayPal Park. Weston McKennie playfully taunted Tyler Adams, just like he usually does. Even the normally reserved Christian Pulisic joined in on the fun. As members of the U.S. men’s national team worked through a training session at the home venue of MLS club San Jose Earthquakes on Tuesday, anyone watching — if they didn’t know better — wouldn’t think that these players were barely 24 hours before what might be the biggest games of their lives. Nothing less than the legacy of what many have called a “Golden Generation” of American soccer stars led by Pulisic, McKennie and Adams is at stake on Wednesday, when the USA meets Bosnia and Herzegovina in its first do-or-die match at the 2026 FIFA World Cup at nearby San Francisco Bay Area Stadium (kickoff at 8 p.m. ET on FOX and FOX One). The stakes are enormous. And after winning its first two contests in a World Cup for the first time in almost a century en route to topping Group D, the expectations are just as high. For months, coach Mauricio Pochettino has talked up his squad’s potential: “Why not us?” That has been the question the former Paris Saint-Germain manager has asked his team and the USA’s rapidly growing fan base again and again. Players and supporters alike have internalized that message, to the point where many are already looking past Wednesday’s round of 32 contest and to next week’s round of 16 in Seattle against Belgium or Senegal — or even the July 10 quarterfinal versus (probably) star-studded Spain or Portugal or Croatia. Not so fast. The Bosnians won’t go quietly. And while they’re not France, the U.S. hasn’t beaten a European team in its last 12 chances dating to 2021 and has lost all six of such matches under Pochettino. If that streak doesn’t end in Northern California, at a World Cup on home soil, the public perception of the USA’s tournament — the reality — will instantly swing from wild success to catastrophic failure. There is nothing in between. The players are unfazed. “We try not to think worst-case scenario,” defender Chris Richards told me Monday before the Americans’ final practice. “For us, ultimately it’s [about] going to this game with confidence, but also understanding that no things don’t always go your way,” he said. “So let’s make sure you’re prepared for everything.” Besides, being stressed out won’t help. “Relaxation brings concentration,” Pochettino said at Monday’s pre-match press conference, attributing the quote to Jorge Valdano, a legendary player and coach with Real Madrid who won the 1986 World Cup with Argentina. No wonder the U.S. is choosing to look at Wednesday as an opportunity to keep its World Cup dreams kicking, rather than an obligation to. “We understand what it means: You win or you go home,” Pulisic said. “So yeah, there definitely needs to be a lot of focus and attention to detail this week. But I think the vibe feels good. We’ve still kept it light, and we still are going to be ready to battle once the whistle blows.” If not, anything could happen. Just days into the business end of this World Cup, European powers the Netherlands and four-time champion Germany are out before the round of 16 has even started. And that’s not even accounting for the unexpected: red cards, own goals, injuries. Keeping the emotions in check — at the line but not over it — can also go a long way toward the ability to survive and advance. “Soccer,” Pochettino allowed, “is an unpredictable thing. We try to reduce that.” Still, the odds are on the home team’s side. Another massive red, white and blue-clad crowd is expected. The U.S. comes into the match ranked 15th by FIFA while the Golden Lilles are 61st, lower than 16 nations that failed to qualify for this World Cup. Not that that matters when the game begins. “I don’t believe that we are the favored team,” Pochettino said. “Everyone said Germany was the favorite, but Paraguay beat them. “After the group stage, we are seeing how difficult it is for everyone,” he continued.  “We don’t have another opportunity if we fail. [So] it’s all-in, knowing that that game is the final of the World Cup. That, I think, needs to be — and is — our mindset.”​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Malik Tillman likes watching penalty shootouts. But participating in them? Not so much. “I try to avoid it,” the American midfielder said before training on Tuesday. “Everyone tries to avoid it. But sometimes, it happens, and, of course, you have to be ready for it because you never know. We’ll give our best to finish the game in 90 minutes.” The U.S. men’s national team faces Bosnia and Herzegovina in the round of 32 at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium on Wednesday night. With the 2026 World Cup now in the knockout stage, any match that remains tied after regulation and extra time comes down to one thing: the dreaded, stomach-churning penalty shootout. On Monday, Germany and the Netherlands were both eliminated after cruel and dramatic penalty shootout losses to Paraguay and Morocco, respectively. Across the two shootouts, players missed 10 penalty kicks, setting a World Cup record for the most misses in a single day. It was the first time in history the four-time champion Germans left the World Cup via penalties. It was a stark reminder of the stakes now facing the U.S. because, in the knockout stage, one mistake can send a team home. “We’ve seen two big boys fall,” defender Chris Richards told a group of reporters. “So it’s just a matter of us getting through this game and putting on a good performance, and, hopefully, we continue that.” The last time the USA found itself in a penalty shootout was exactly one year ago, when it beat Costa Rica in the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup quarterfinals after a six-round thriller. The win came largely thanks to Matt Freese’s heroics in goal, as he made three saves to send the squad through. Tillman, who missed a penalty in the first half of that match, bounced back by converting in the shootout. He said that while players can practice penalties all they want, it’s “impossible” to replicate what it actually feels like in that spotlight. U.S. manager Mauricio Pochettino agrees. That’s part of why the squad has used sports performance company neuro11 for the past 18 months. The company works with elite athletes and teams around the world — including Liverpool F.C. and Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez — using innovative brain-based training and neurofeedback to help athletes stay sharp and composed under pressure. Pochettino has a dedicated group of coaches and analysts focused on neuro11 and penalty kicks, working to improve the team’s execution from the spot and expand the pool of PK takers, much like another group uses TrackMan technology to aid in set pieces. “I don’t want to say too much,” Pochettino said Tuesday, careful not to reveal information that could give a future shootout opponent an edge. “As a coaching staff, we believe that we can provide some tools to the players to be better or to improve or to try to find the best way to face this type of situation, knowing that it’s impossible to replicate the emotional stress and the pressure and expectation, how you are going to feel. “Because it depends on your performance – if you came from the bench, if you played 120 minutes, if you are tired, if you are not tired. If you feel something in your body, that is impossible when you practice penalties to have the same feeling.” Pochettino added that he and his staff choose the penalty kicking order. “It is going to be our decision – the No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, No. 4, No. 5,” Pochettino said. “We are trying to arrive at this moment and not ask the player if they feel confident or not confident.” According to a German media report, there was controversy over who would take Germany’s sixth penalty, as some players didn’t want to. Ultimately, it was Jonathan Tah, whose miss proved decisive and allowed Paraguay to convert and advance. “I don’t know about that situation, but yeah, it’s a difficult thing,” star forward Christian Pulisic said when asked about Germany’s exit. “The guys who feel the most confident to go up and shoot will want to go shoot. I think that’s normal. There will be some players that maybe don’t practice them as much and don’t feel as good. I don’t think it’s necessarily a big problem. “Haven’t been in many shootouts with these guys, but I feel like it’s a pretty brave, courageous team. I feel like guys will give it a go.” How Do USA Players Take Penalties? Penalty kick style and technique have evolved over the years. Some players opt for stutter steps and elaborate long or short run-ups, while others simply place the ball and strike it. Tillman said he’s experimented with different approaches throughout his career and doesn’t necessarily take them the same way he once did. Still, he added, “I’m confident in the way I take them.” Richards, who scored a penalty for Premier League club Crystal Palace last season, doesn’t overthink it. “I don’t want to give away too much,” Richards said with a big smile. “Some guys change it up. Me personally, I’m a defender for a reason, so I’m gonna put it down and place it where I think it needs to go.” Pulisic doesn’t read too much into everyone else’s process. “Everyone has their own style,” said Pulisic, who also noted that he’s feeling good after dealing with a calf injury that has limited his time on the field. “I don’t think you watch [the Germany and Netherlands shootouts] and can take so much away and try to change your style in one day. I mean, it’s just part of the game. “It’s an extremely hard thing to do for sure. It takes a lot of courage and it’s not easy. Goalkeepers are getting better and better every single year. Everyone has their individual style, and you just go with what you feel most confident with.” All this is to say, the U.S. hopes any penalty shootout talk is moot during their run in this World Cup. “Ultimately, you don’t want to get there,” Richards said. “But honestly, we’ve done a lot of training with penalty shootouts, so if it comes down to it, I think every guy on this team is going to step up and take it.”​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

The U.S. men’s national team may have lost its World Cup group-stage finale on a last-second goal to Türkiye, but that hasn’t changed any of this squad’s objectives. Wednesday’s match against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the round of 32 has the USA primed for a deep run at this tournament. The last time the USMNT won a knockout game was in 2002, so there is plenty on the line at the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium against an upstart European side. Here is everything to know about the USA’s round of 32 match against Bosnia and Herzegovina: Although this has been a terrific World Cup for the USA so far — the team won two consecutive games for the first time in almost a century and its group with a match to spare, allowing the starters to rest and the reserves to gain valuable experience in the loss to Türkiye — it instantly becomes the biggest failure in program history if this squad can’t beat the Bosnians. That’s a hell of a swing. To be clear: The Stars and Stripes should win this game. They have a better lineup, a deeper bench and will be playing at home. Blowing this would take some doing. But being the clear favorite is tricky, and anything can happen in one game. So the U.S. must mitigate the risk by coming out flying and, crucially, scoring the first goal — something it has done in all three of its games so far. The longer the match remains scoreless, the more the visitors’ belief will grow, as will the pressure on the hosts to avoid disaster.  — Doug McIntyre Not to be cliché, but I am going with Christian Pulisic. He’s only played 77 minutes total during this World Cup, and now that the U.S. is in the knockout stage, it’s a massive moment for him to shine. As Folarin Balogun told reporters earlier this week, the knockout stage is the time when “big players step forward, and the big players carry the pressure and make things happen.” On this team, there’s no bigger player than Pulisic. He masterfully contributed to the team’s first two goals vs. Paraguay, but then was forced to miss the next match vs. Australia with that calf injury. He came on in the second half vs. Türkiye and immediately lifted the quality of play. On Tuesday, Pulisic told reporters that he’s “feeling good.” We expect him to start against Bosnia and Herzegovina and be the star this team needs to keep pushing through the World Cup. — Laken Litman Goalkeeper: Matt Freese Defender: Antonee “Jedi” Robinson Defender: Tim Ream Defender: Chris Richards Defender: Alex Freeman Midfielder: Tyler Adams Midfielder: Malik Tillman Midfielder: Weston McKennie Attacker: Christian Pulisic Attacker/Defender: Sergiño Dest Forward: Folarin Balogun In a tournament setting, when Mauricio Pochettino finds a formation and lineup he likes, he tends to stick with it. We saw this at the 2025 Gold Cup when he kept a consistent lineup through the knockouts. As we saw against Australia when Pulisic was hurt and Pochettino went with a two-center-forward formation, he can adapt in interesting ways when he must. Now, he has no restrictions as yellow cards have been wiped clean (meaning Adams, McKennie, Richards and Balogun are back). Pulisic is also available, while both Ream and Robinson are rested. The good thing about this lineup is there are a number of very versatile players that offer Pochettino ways to adjust without making a substitution. McKennie and Tillman can sit deep or move into a No. 10 or winger role if needed. Pulisic can cut in and play as a No. 10 or second striker. Dest can play as a winger or as a right back. This was the lineup Pochettino chose in the very important opening game. It is hard to see him changing something that worked so well. — Brian Sciaretta Bosnia and Herzegovina’s approach will be similar to what the USA saw against Paraguay. I’m expecting more of a mid-block instead of a low one, like what Australia played. Bosnia will defend higher up the field but still won’t leave itself too exposed. Bosnia and Herzegovina had the third-fewest entries into the opponent’s 18-yard box and the lowest of any team that advanced to the round of 32. That should give you an idea of what to expect from them in this match. That should not sound like I’m discrediting what Bosnia and Herzegovina is capable of, since the squad does have a couple of players who are more than capable of making an impact in attack. — Walker Zimmerman​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports