US seeks to advance past knockout round against Bosnia-Herzegovina

The United States has only won one men's knockout round in their World Cup history. The Americans will look to match that against Bosnia and Herzegovina tonight in Santa Clara.

The United States national team has grown tired of hearing about its traditional shortcomings in World Cup knockout matches. The Americans will look to change that narrative on Wednesday as they attempt to win their first World Cup elimination game in 24 years when they face Bosnia-Herzegovina in the round of 32 in Santa Clara, California. The good news for the Americans is they should have a healthy Christian Pulisic after the star missed the second game with a calf injury and played only 33 minutes as a sub in the final group match against Turkey.

The U.S. team spent Monday like millions of other interested followers of the World Cup, watching thrilling games from other venues that included a major upset with Germany falling to Paraguay, three games that went down to the wire and two nervy shootouts. Then the reality quickly set in that they would soon be back in the spotlight themselves, with a round of 32 match against Bosnia-Herzegovina on Wednesday that will go a long way to determining how successful this World Cup will be. After starting the tournament with convincing wins over Paraguay and Australia that clinched the top spot in the group before a meaningless loss to Turkey last week, the Americans enter this knockout round as the favorites to advance for a change against a Bosnian team that has never made it past the group stage before this year.

Getting to the knockout rounds of the World Cup is nothing new for the United States. Wednesday's match against Bosnia-Herzegovina in Santa Clara, California, marks the eighth time the U.S. has played in an elimination round in 12 World Cups. Here's a look at the short and mostly unsuccessful U.S. record once the World Cup reaches the win-or-go-home stage.