Tillman, Berhalter and Balogun shine as defensive concerns linger

The U.S. men's team finished the group stage with two wins and a loss, sparked a lively debate over “Country Roads,” and posted its strongest group-stage numbers in program history. All of that mattered only so far as it set up the knockout rounds; now Bosnia and Herzegovina await and the next matches will define this run.

Malik Tillman’s stock has risen sharply. Gradient Sports gave him the highest grade of anyone after the first two games, and he has combined chance creation and defensive work in a deeper No. 8 role — creating the joint-most chances and taking the joint-most shots against Paraguay while adding tackles and interceptions against Australia.

Folarin Balogun has also pushed ahead as the clearest attacking option, scoring twice in the Paraguay win and helping force an own goal against Australia, showing the attributes of a top modern striker. Defensive questions linger.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

malik tillman, folarin balogun, usmnt, bosnia, paraguay, australia, knockout rounds, chance creation, defensive concerns, gradient sports