SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Damned if they don’t keep checking off boxes and breaking down doors. 

The door the U.S. men’s national team busted down Wednesday night in a nervy 2-0 Round of 32 win over Bosnia-Herzegovina in the World Cup was the heaviest door it’s encountered in years — maybe the heaviest ever. 

Despite the cool exterior the U.S. players exuded in the days before kickoff — “Would it be weird if I told you I don’t really feel too much pressure right now?’’ veteran defender Tim Ream had said — there was tension entering the night for the USMNT. 

The U.S., historically the plucky underdog in these knockout matches (see: the Netherlands in ’22, Belgium in ’14, Brazil in ’94), was the decided betting favorite to beat Bosnia-Herzegovina and win a knockout round match for the first time since 2022.