After all that hype, all of that promise, all of that luck, and, more recently, all of that controversy, we were ultimately left with the same old United States men’s national team (USMNT).
The Americans are out of their home World Cup in the Round of 16, the same phase they crashed out of four years ago in Qatar against the Netherlands, following a 4-1 loss to Belgium in Seattle on Monday night.
Despite this US squad posting a program-best in goals scored at a single World Cup, and winning a knockout-stage game for the first time in 24 years, a gulf in class still very much exists between them and the world’s elites. Belgium is ranked No. 8 in the world — far better than No. 27 Turkiye, No. 28 Australia, No. 34 Paraguay, and No. 61 Bosnia & Herzegovina.
Charles De Ketelaere recorded a first-half brace for Belgium in the first half, then set up Hans Vanaken’s backbreaker following a calamitous gaffe by US goalkeeper Matt Freese in the 57th minute. The great Romelu Lukaku, a second-half sub, put the cherry on top of a dominant effort with in the third minute of second-half stoppage time.
The Red Devils will face Spain in the quarterfinals on Friday in Los Angeles.
The Americans’ only shot on goal over the first 81 minutes did not even come in open play, though Malik Tillman’s free kick found the back of the net to momentarily restore parity in the 31st minute.
Belgium’s assault on the Americans gained traction from the jump, bypassing Mauricio Pochettino’s high press by sending long balls over the top of a nervous back line.
Freese was forced into a brilliant right-handed save two minutes into the match off a long-range effort from Timothy Castagne. Seven minutes later, Belgium was in front after miscommunication among the American defense saw Sergino Dest pull up on an Alex Freeman clearance. It allowed Nicolas Raskin to regain possession for Belgium in the US box, and his low centering feed was tapped into an open goal by De Ketelaere.
The Americans found an equalizer out of nothing, thanks to Tillman’s free-kick goal of the tournament, as his attempt from 25 yards out in the 31st minute caromed off the head of Vanaken within the Belgian wall and wrong-footed keeper Thibaut Courtois, who could only helplessly watch as the ball sailed into the back of the goal.
But there is a reason they say a team is most vulnerable directly after scoring a goal, and the US helped cement that stereotype. Belgium needed just 61 seconds to go back in front when De Ketelaere ragdolled US captain Tim Ream in the air to get his head on his brace.
Pochettino did not sit back and wait to shake things up. He subbed Dest off for Gio Reyna at halftime, and his side clearly had the better start to the second half, but American dysfunction reminiscent of earlier this century reared its ugly head at the worst time to give Belgium a two-goal lead and derail any hope of a comeback in the 57th minute.
A long ball over the top by Belgium was put in no-man’s land between the US back line and Freese. The NYCFC keeper was timid coming out to get it, but managed to do so justa head of the Belgian attack. He took a touch off the chest and, rather than hoofing it down the field, his left foot got caught in the turf on its way forward, allowing De Ketelaere to win it back and poke it to Vanaken, who, from 35 yards out, threaded it past Freese and somehow through Ream and into the back of the goal.
To add further insult to injury, Pulisic was forced to leave the match immediately after the goal after injuring his right leg moments earlier.
Folarin Balogun, whose inclusion following the suspension of his one-game ban for a red card in the Round of 32 against Bosnia sparked controversy worldwide, recorded the Americans’ first shot from open play in the 81st minute when he got behind the defense down the left wing, but Courtois was up to stop a low, hard, left-footed attempt from a difficult angle.
In stoppage time and the result already in hand, Chris Richards turned it over deep in US territory, allowing Lukaku to curl Belgium’s fourth from the left side of the box.
For more on the USMNT at the World Cup, visit AMNY.com
