All around St. Louis, locals gathered to watch the United States take on Bosnia and Herzegovina in the World Cup match on July 1. At 9 Mile Garden in Affton, people came touting their American — or Bosnian — flags, watching the game on the big screen. The USA won 2-0.
This match-up, which was the first in the single elimination round, had a special significance to some St. Louisans. There are an estimated 60,000 Bosnians in the St. Louis region, which makes it the largest population of diasporic Bosnians in the world. This is largely attributed to a wave of refugee resettlement in the 1990s, aided by the International Institute of St. Louis.
The Bosnian population moved into South St. Louis neighborhoods like Bevo Mill and then expanded into South County neighborhoods like Affton and Mehlville.
At 9 Mile Garden, supporters of the United States and Bosnia and Herzegovina alike cheered for their teams. When the USA scored twice, the garden exploded in whoops and high fives.
This match was the United States team’s first knockout win since 2002. The victory sent them into a match against Belgium in the second round of single elimination, after The Call’s press time.
This year marks the second time the United States has hosted the FIFA World Cup; the last time was in 1994.
