Pakistan, July 2 -- The United States secured a determined 2-0 victory over Bosnia on Wednesday to book a place in the FIFA World Cup last 16, ending a 24-year wait for a knockout-stage win. The result also snapped the Americans' frustrating run of 10 consecutive defeats against European opponents, keeping their hopes of a memorable tournament alive.

The hosts started brightly in front of an energetic home crowd in the San Francisco Bay Area and created several dangerous attacks. Although goals from Folarin Balogun and Christian Pulisic were ruled out earlier, Balogun finally broke the deadlock before halftime by calmly finishing a loose ball for his third goal of the tournament.

However, the match took another dramatic turn after the b...