Breaking down the USMNT vs. Bosnia-Herzegovina World Cup matchup, plus prediction

SAN JOSE, Calif.— The group stage was a rousing success for the U.S.

men’s national team.And it won’t matter, not one bit, if it doesn’t follow that up with a win over Bosnia-Herzegovina on Wednesday night in Santa Clara.The Round of 32 match against the Balkan nation that knocked out Italy to make it into the World Cup is not, like knockout games past, a match the U.S.

can lose and still claim to have had a successful tournament.That does not mean it will be an easy win.The Post breaks down the matchup between Team USA and Bosnia.With no injuries among the presumed starters and no reason to rotate, the starting 11 figures to be the same as it was in the opener against Paraguay.

As in that game and in the one against Australia, the U.S.should have most of the ball against an opponent that’s happy to play without it.Bosnia can sit back in a low block and absorb pressure effectively while looking for moments to attack on the counter.

Against a 4-4-2 formation that sticks to fairly basic principles, the easiest way to try to break it down isn’t much of a secret.Get width, create gaps in defense and take advantage.

For that reason, Sergiño Dest on the right side and Antonee “Jedi” Robinson on the left will have huge roles to play.Having Christian Pulisic, hopefully able to play the full 90, will be key as well given his ability to make something happen on the ball, especially if the USMNT is having trouble solving the puzzles Bosnia throws at it.Bosnia’s centerbacks, Nikola Katic and Stjepan Radeljic, are 6-foot-4 and 6-foot-7, respectively, so aerial duels don’t project as an area where the USMNT can come out on top.

There will be moments where Bosnia presses high to try to force long balls that its center backs can win back, but for the most part, the USMNT has handled the press well in this tournament, and this is an opponent it should be able to build out from the back against.There’s something appealing about the simplicity with which B...