By OkayGoal 
The U.S. Men’s National Team cannot afford to overlook Bosnia-Herzegovina in Wednesday’s FIFA World Cup Round of 32 showdown and Mauricio Pochettino knows it.
47 places in the FIFA Rankings may separate the two nations, but overall its a do-or-die match for both teams. The USMNT topped Group D with a 2-1-0 record while Bosnia-Herzegovina advanced as one for top-eight third place teams after registering a 1-1-1 record of their own.
While there is still a long way to go reach the World Cup Final at New York/New Jersey Stadium on July 19, Pochettino wants his players to treat every match remaining like they’re playing for the trophy.
“For us it’s the final of the world cup tomorrow, if we don’t think in this way we are going to struggle,” Pochettino said in his prematch press conference on Tuesday. “We saw yesterday that no game is easy for anyone. It’s all in. If we go through, then it’s another final.”
The USMNT have received a strong fan reception in all three of their World Cup matches so far this summer, with Los Angeles and Seattle providing a major boost to the players and coaching staff. Wednesday’s match will take place in the San Francisco Bay Area, at a venue that the USMNT have not played in since 2017.
Pressure will be on the USMNT to win and advance against their European opponents and Pochettino is hoping that his players can control their emotions in what should be a lively atmosphere from California.
“A game like tomorrow is 85 percent, maybe 90 percent emotional,” he said. “If we can reduce that, to 70, 60, 50, in order to play, and wait to put in the emotional side at the end, I think it’s much better. But it’s difficult to reduce for both teams. In soccer, unpredictable things can happen but we’re trying to reduce that. To play free, and enjoy it.”
Bosnia-Herzegovina needed a victory over Qatar in its final group stage match to have a chance at the knockout stage, following a 1-1 draw with Canada and a 4-1 thumping at the hands of Switzerland. Head coach Sergej Barbarez took over at the helm in 2024 and will be facing the USMNT for the first time in his managerial career.
Barbarez praised the USMNT’s ability on the field and for advancing to the Round of 32, but remains confident in his team to stick to their approach against the heavy favorites.
“This is a team that deserves huge respect from me, for their preparations, for the way they play, the way they use the euphoria around them for this World Cup,” Barbarez said. “It’s nice to see this. I really respect them and I’m glad we will play against them.
“We will try to take everything that has guided us, our winning mentality, our approach, desire, you said I’m smiling because these guys are making me smile,” he added. “I’m happy I’m still in the U.S. This is the seventh city here, hopefully we get an eighth.”