After controversy, Belgium thrashes and eliminates the United States in the round of 16 of the World Cup
Belgium beat the United States 4-1 this Monday (6), in Seattle, and secured their place in the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup.
Before the start of the clash, the match was marked by the lifting of the suspension of Folarin Balogun, who was sent off in the previous game, against Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the round of 16 of the tournament. The striker was authorized to play by FIFA and started as a starter in the North American team's defeat.
On the field, Charles De Ketelaere was the big name in the Belgian rout at Lumen Field, with two goals scored. Hans Vanaken and Romelu Lukaku scored the other goals for the European side, while Malik Tillman, with a free kick, scored for the hosts of the competition.
With the result, Belgium advanced to face Spain, who beat Portugal 1-0. The game takes place next Friday (10), at 4pm (Brasília time), at the SoFi Stadium, in Los Angeles.
The United States, on the other hand, say goodbye to the World Cup with the same campaign as when they hosted the event for the first time, in 1994. On that occasion, the country was beaten by Brazil 1-0.
How was the game?
In the first minute of the match, Belgium were threatened by a shot from full-back Timothy Castagne that forced goalkeeper Matt Freese to make a beautiful save. The initial pressure paid off and the Europeans took the lead after nine minutes. Midfielder Nicolas Raskin crossed low and striker Charles De Ketelaere completed the ball into the net to score.
In the 14th minute, winger Leandro Trossard took a risk from outside the area and sent it over the opponent's goal. Later, midfielder Malik Tillman took a free kick on goal, the ball deflected off the wall and deceived goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. United States draws the match.
If they were shaken on the field, the Belgians scored for the second time soon after. Trossard made a great move on the left and crossed the ball to De Ketelaere, who beat the high ball to make it 2-1. In the 39th minute, midfielder Youri Tielemans took the corner to the near post and Raskin deflected it to Freese's defense.
At 43, full-back Maxim De Cuyper crossed and winger Dodi Lukébakio headed wide. North American center forward Folarin Balogun had a good opportunity in the final stretch of the first half, but missed the target with an attempt in the small area.
With the entry of midfielder Giovanni Reyna in place of full-back Sergiño Dest, the United States began to attack more in search of the equalizing goal. However, it was the Red Devils who found the net once again. Matt Freese came out of the box to intercept the ball and lost possession to De Ketelaere. It fell to midfielder Hans Vanaken, who shot from distance and made it 3-1.
Despite having control of the actions, coach Mauricio Pochettino's team showed difficulty in breaking through the Belgian defense. After a good while without being scared, midfielder Sebastian Berhalter took a shot from outside the area and sent it to the right of the goal saved by Courtois.
Next, at 37, Balogun was launched at speed and finished over Thibaut Courtois. In the final minutes, the United States circled the opponent's area without being able to create a good opportunity. There was still time for center forward Romelu Lukaku, who came off the bench in the second half, to turn the victory into a rout: 4-1 and qualification to the quarter-finals.
For the first time, the quarterfinals of the World Cup are without Brazil, Germany and Italy
Source: CNN