The United States' World Cup journey ended in disappointment with a 4-1 loss to Belgium in the round of 16 on Monday evening in the Pacific north-west. The defeat came amid controversy surrounding star striker Folarin Balogun's red card, which was later overturned, and a costly goalkeeping error by Matt Freese.
Controversy Overshadows Preparation
The US team had rallied around the question "Why not us?" during the tournament, but after the loss, that was replaced by "What could have been?" The controversy over Balogun's red card, which was overturned after a Trump-driven reinstatement, dominated the 36 hours leading up to the match. Balogun started up top, as expected, in the same XI that impressed against Paraguay and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Belgium's Tactical Surprise
Belgium manager Rudi Garcia surprised the US by omitting Kevin De Bruyne and Jérémy Doku from the starting XI, despite both being healthy. Nicolas Raskin took over as the central playmaker, and Dodi Lukébakio replaced Doku on the wing. Lukébakio had previously terrorized the US in a March friendly, scoring two goals in a 5-2 win.
Early Warning Signs
The US had early warning signs. In the eighth minute, Amadou Onana slipped the ball to Lukébakio, who cut through the defense and sent a ball across the goal that Youri Tielemans scuffed. Soon after, Belgium scored when a long ball from the back found Leandro Trossard, whose deflected pass was met by Raskin. Raskin's brilliant first touch set up Charles De Ketelaere for a simple finish.
The US crumbled under adversity, just as they did in the dead-rubber group game against Turkey. Weston McKennie handed Belgium opportunities through loose touches, Christian Pulisic was frequently dispossessed, and Chris Richards nearly gave the ball to De Ketelaere on the doorstep of goal.
Equalizer Offers Brief Hope
Malik Tillman's equalizer came out of nowhere. Balogun won a free-kick on the edge of the area, and Tillman sent a looping ball over the wall that deflected off Hans Vanaken past Thibaut Courtois. With the goal, Tillman became just the second player in World Cup history to score twice from direct free-kicks in a single tournament.
Any hopes of a US fightback were quickly extinguished. Trossard found space behind Alex Freeman and played a ball to De Ketelaere, who headed home to restore Belgium's lead.
Goalkeeping Error Seals Fate
In the second half, US coach Mauricio Pochettino brought on Gio Reyna for Sergiño Dest, but the US's bright start was overshadowed by a goalkeeping error. In the 57th minute, Freese came off his line to meet a long ball but hesitated to clear it after chesting it away from De Ketelaere. Hans Vanaken rolled the ball into an open net from distance, leaving Freese and Tim Ream with their heads in their hands.
Romelu Lukaku, brought on in the 67th minute, finished the US off in added time with a smart goal. After the match, US players fell to their knees, with Richards staying in a fetal position for several minutes before being consoled by teammates.
Reflections on the Tournament
Pochettino said: "From the beginning, we didn't connect with the game. Even when we scored the goal, we conceded the next action. Congratulations Belgium, they were better than us. We didn't show what this team can show."
The US had set the world on notice earlier in the tournament, with no US team looking better at a World Cup. They scored goals of quality and ingenuity and defended capably over long periods. But it ended with missed defensive assignments, poor giveaways, and a moment of pure panic from Freese that sealed their fate.
