The United States' hopes for a deep World Cup run at home ended when Charles De Ketelaere scored twice and assisted on another goal, helping Belgium expose the Americans' defensive liabilities in a 4-1 win in Seattle Monday night that earned a quarterfinal berth. While the US was boosted by the presence of star forward Folarin Balogun, whose one-game red-card suspension was controversially lifted by FIFA after a phone call from President Trump, American defenders were at fault in a pair of first-half goals and a gaffe by goalkeeper Matt Freese gave the Red Devils a third early in the second half, the AP reports.
Second-half substitute Romelu Lukaku added Belgium's final goal in the third minute of stoppage time. The Red Devils advanced to meet Spain in Inglewood, California, on Friday. Malik Tillman tied the score 1-1 midway through the first half with his second free kick goal of the tournament, but the Americans conceded just 61 seconds after the ensuing kickoff. US coach Mauricio Pochettino showed his frustration by kicking a rack in front of the bench, sending four water bottles flying.
- This was a major disappointment for the US, "who having had such an encouraging, uplifting World Cup to that point, was nowhere near the required level tonight, with some bad mistakes punished by better opponents," writes Oliver Kay at the Athletic.
- After winning three games in a World Cup for the first time in this expanded 48-nation tournament, the US failed in its quest to reach the quarterfinals for the first time since 2002 and lost to Belgium for the seventh straight time since a victory at the initial tournament in 1930. The Americans have dropped 11 of their last 12 games against European opponents, winning only their round of 32 match against Bosnia-Herzegovina.
- "There's always a deflating feeling when the hosts are eliminated from the World Cup," Kay writes. This time, all three co-hosts fell in the round of 16, with Morocco beating Canada 3-0 on Saturday and England defeating Mexico 3-2 on Sunday.
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