Deep in a crowd of blue jerseys, Katja Vuksanović of Novato was riding an amazing high: Bosnia-Herzegovina had just won its match 3-1 against Qatar.
Now, the country has moved on to the knockout stage – the furthest they have ever reached in the FIFA World Cup.
“It was just a sea of blue,” said Vuksanović, who went to the June 24 match with a friend. “We didn’t expect anything like that.”
“We both started crying: ‘Oh my god, our people. We’re all here together,’” she said.
Seattle Stadium shook as fans jumped and cheered. And then, a throwback song from 2011 blasted through the speakers: “USA” by Bosnian group Dubioza Kolektiv.
“People went crazy for it,” she said. “It was really such a beautiful moment.”
The lyrics? “I can no longer wait / Take me to United States / take me to Golden Gate / I will assimilate.”
Now, Bosnia-Herzegovina will be heading to the Golden Gate Bridge – or, at least, close to it – with a major knockout stage match against Team USA in Santa Clara on Wednesday evening.
The very timely song will likely make an appearance – and if Bay Area residents are curious as to why scores of fans are singing a catchy tune about the Golden Gate Bridge, it’s because “USA” has become something of an unofficial FIFA anthem for Bosnia-Herzegovina.
The song, also called “I Am From Bosnia – Take Me To America,” is about an immigrant’s disillusionment with the United States.
The song even ends with, “One day, back to roots my friend / No place like a motherland.”
According to the World Bank, as of 2024, 1.7 million Bosnians live in another country, “implying that one in three Bosnians can be considered migrants,” one of many longstanding effects of Bosnia’s devastating conflict in the 90s that saw over 100,000 people killed – including 8,000 Muslims.
Team captain Edin Džeko described his experience in a letter dedicated to the children of Bosnia-Herzegovina. “I grew up with war,” he wrote. “Suddenly, I was living a fairy tale. Nothing is ever impossible.”
Now the song – with millions of views on YouTube – is taking on a new meaning: A push for Bosnia during its second time ever in the World Cup.
“It’s an interesting story how this song got its second and third and fourth incarnation in these 15 years,” bassist Vedran Mujagić said to the Associated Press. “It evolved from this satirical take on immigration, and [the] American Dream, and it was translated into [an] American football dream for the entire nation.”
“Football in this moment is much more than just a game; it’s a hope, and it’s very basically [a] political thing because it brought all the people from Bosnia together, which is usually not the case,” keyboardist Brano Jakubović said, according to the Associated Press.
Vuksanović said that she was surprised to hear the song play after the Seattle match – usually the song she has been hearing has been “Ljiljani” by Halid Bešlić – but later did notice that the “campy song” was taking off in America.
She admitted that she grew “kind of sad” when she thought about parts of the song that are usually not played out loud – the end, which is the realization that America “isn’t actually the promised land,” and ultimately missing home.
“It’s like, actually: ‘I don’t want to go to the United States. Get me out of here, I’m going home,’” Vuksanović said, describing the song.
But the soccer spin on the song makes it far more optimistic, she said.
Now, it’s “We’re going to America, we’re going to the Golden Gate, we’re playing in Santa Clara Stadium,” she said.
“Take me to, literally, Team USA,” she said. “Next-level manifestation happened there.”
Despite frustrations with the depiction of Bosnia by some American reporters, Vuksanović said she was excited for the chance for people to learn more about Bosnia and its team.
“It really is heartwarming to see people focus on the stories of the players, and everything that the team has overcome to come to the U.S. and do this,” she said. “They’re really very inspiring.”
“I don’t really care if they win or lose. Obviously, I want them to win,” Vuksanović said. “But I’m just so excited to see them get out there and see Bosnia on the world stage.”