The United States have been eliminated from the World Cup following a convincing 4-1 defeat to Belgium in the round of 16 in Seattle. The build-up to the match was overshadowed by the contentious controversy surrounding the suspension of striker Folarin Balogun.
Balogun Suspension Controversy
Folarin Balogun had been handed a one-match ban for a disputed red card against Bosnia and Herzegovina. However, President Donald Trump personally contacted FIFA chief Gianni Infantino, urging the organisation to review the ban. FIFA chose to suspend the ban for a probationary period, permitting Balogun to face the Belgians in deeply controversial circumstances. The Belgian FA released a strongly-worded statement of condemnation, but the real harm was inflicted by their players on the pitch.
Match Highlights
Charles De Ketelaere set the Belgians on their way when he tapped in from close range after just nine minutes. The hydration break proved to be a turning point for the USA, who drew level through Malik Tillman's deflected free-kick on 31 minutes. Yet the home crowd had barely finished celebrating when they found themselves behind once more. Leandro Trossard whipped a cross onto the head of De Ketelaere, who headed past USA goalkeeper Matt Freese.
The USA pushed for another equaliser, but their tournament was effectively over in the 57th minute when Freese was caught 30 yards off his line by De Ketelaere, who stole the ball from his toes and prodded it to Hans Vanaken, who passed it into an empty net from 25 yards. At 3-1, Balogun, whose controversial selection despite his initial suspension provoked such anger, made minimal impact during the match, apart from a one-on-one which forced Thibault Courtois into a strong save when the scoreline stood at 3-1.
That represented the extent of the hosts' threat while trailing by two goals. Belgium's fourth goal arrived courtesy of further defensive frailties from Pochettino's team. They attempted to build from the back, but Crystal Palace's Chris Richards ultimately surrendered possession to Romelu Lukaku. The former Manchester United and Chelsea striker eagerly capitalised and emphatically struck into the far corner to complete a comprehensive victory.
Post-Match Reactions
After the match, USA coach Pochettino admitted it was not his side's day. He said: "From the beginning we didn't connect with the game. Even when we scored, 1-1, we concede in the next action. It was really tough from the beginning. I congratulate Belgium, they were better than us. It was not our day. It's not to find excuses or argument, because we did not show normally what the team shows and that is the reality."
Looking Ahead
Belgium will face Spain in the quarter-finals on Friday 10 July. For the USA, they must recover from the defeat while also enduring more inevitable external scrutiny stemming from the controversy surrounding Balogun not serving his suspension.
