World Cup 2026 live updates: US looks to win first knockout match in 24 years in Bay Area

ABC News Anchor Johnson said memories from the 1994 Bay Area World Cup have come flooding back as he reports on Team USA's upcoming knockout match

ABC News anchor Whit Johnson reflected on his longtime connections to the Bay Area and the FIFA World Cup during a live appearance Wednesday morning while covering Team USA's upcoming knockout-round match.

Johnson, who at one time of his life was aspiring to a pro soccer career, played for college at San Francisco State University while he interned at KGO-TV.

Johnson said memories from the 1994 World Cup, the last time the mega sports event was staged in the Bay Area, have come flooding back as he reports from the Bay Area this week.

He recalled attending the United States' match against Brazil at Stanford Stadium.

"All the nostalgia, the memories are roaring back. I even have my retro 1994 World Cup jersey on here," Johnson said.

"I was at the game the U.S. versus Brazil back in 94, Stanford Stadium. I have the pictures there to prove it, and it was just an inspiring moment for me as a young soccer player."

Johnson said the experience fueled his own soccer ambitions.

"I thought I wanted to go pro after that. Didn't quite make it, but I did play in college at San Francisco State while I was an intern at KGO," he said. "So, all of these memories coming back, it's just incredible."

Now back in the Bay Area covering the U.S. national team, Johnson said the squad faces a difficult challenge in its latest knockout-round matchup against Bosnia and Herzegovina.

"This is a country that has been one of the great underdog stories here," Johnson said.

"They're playing in their second World Cup, first time in the knockout rounds."

Johnson noted that Team USA is seeking its first knockout-round victory since 2002.

"Team USA trying to win a knockout round game for the first time since 2002," he said.

Johnson says he expects an exciting match.

"They have the talent. They have the experience. They've learned lessons from the past, but they know they have a tough task ahead," he said.

U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino opened his news conference on Tuesday by asking the media to forgive him for his curt tone following the U.S. team's 3-2 loss to Turkey.

The loss came after the U.S. had clinched the top spot in the group.

"I want to apologize to the guys that were in my last press conference," Pochettino said. "I was so frustrated. I was disappointed. I thank you and am sorry. It was my problem, not your problem. I was upset after the defeat."

Pochettino called out the media in the post-match news conference last week for not praising him and his team for having already won the group before the loss to Turkey.

"For you not say congratulations that we won the group, that is a little bit sad," Pochettino told reporters after the game.

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 Americans' last, and only, knockout win came on June 17, 2002, when they defeated Mexico 2-0 in the round of 16 in South Korea.

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.

"I feel good and ready to go for tomorrow," Pulisic said.

The U.S. will once again play a knockout round match at a home World Cup in the San Francisco Bay area. The 1994 team made it out of group stage and faced Brazil at Stanford Stadium - less than 15 miles away from the site of this year's game in Santa Clara - only to lose 1-0 to the eventual champions.

Since that round of 16 win over Mexico in 2002, the U.S. is 0-3 at that stage but are favored to advance against Bosnia, according to oddsmakers.

"We understand what it means, you win or you go home. There definitely needs to be a lot of focus and attention detail this week," Pulisic said. "But I think the vibe feels good. We've still kept it light and we still are going to be ready to battle once the whistle blows."

The U.S. has one win in 21 games against European teams with seven draws and 13 losses since making it back to the World Cup in 1990 for the first time in 40 years.

Police are searching for a suspect after two people were shot as a World Cup watch party was ending in San Francisco, while officers in San Jose issued an unlawful assembly order after clashes with crowds following a separate watch party.

San Francisco Shooting

Police are searching for a suspect after two people were shot as a World Cup watch party was ending in San Francisco, while officers in San Jose issued an unlawful assembly order after clashes with crowds following a separate watch party.

San Francisco police said the shooting happened at about 9 p.m. at Spark Social, a food truck park in the Mission Bay neighborhood near Chase Center.

Investigators believe an argument led to the shooting. Two people were injured and are expected to survive, police said.

Authorities did not immediately identify a suspect and said the investigation remains ongoing.

San Jose Stabbings and Mayhem

In San Jose, police made arrests and confronted crowds after a World Cup watch party at San Pedro Square.

Officers responded to multiple fights, where two people were stabbed in separate incidents, but the injuries were not life-threatening.

Officers also responded to fireworks being set off and other disorder and violence, issuing an unlawful assembly order and directing people to disperse. San Jose police say that people in the crowd threw bottles at responding officers.

Multiple people also climbed onto an ambulance, interfering with emergency responders.

Video from about 10:30 p.m. showed police confronting fans, and some people were seen in handcuffs.

San Jose police have not yet said how many people were detained. Officials are being contacted for additional information.