.jpg)
1 hour ago
3
The USMNT saw its dreams of World Cup glory — or a lengthier trek than usual through the tournament — brought to a screeching halt courtesy of Belgium, who emerged as 4-1 victors in their Round of 16 clash.
Mauricio Pochettino's side entered the match in fine form, having looked to be one of the competition's standouts during the group stage. The Belgians, meanwhile, limped through pool play before rallying back to claim an extra time win over Senegal after being outclassed for almost the whole of regulation.
The stage was set for a splendid USMNT outing, especially after star striker Folarin Balogun saw his one-game red card ban suspended following Donald Trump's interventon.
Instead, the U.S. was left to rue what could have been. A Belgian team bereft of A-grade superstars cut down the USMNT one match short of what would of been its joint-best performance in a World Cup in the past 92 years.
Here's how it happened.
MORE: USA soccer roster projection for 2030 World Cup
What went wrong for USMNT vs. Belgium?
Lack of chance creation
Entering into tonight's contest, the USMNT was renowned for its scoring capability. Pochettino's side was one of 11 teams to record at least 10 goals thus far, outscoring celebrated attacking units like Spain and Portugal in its opening four games.
There was reason to believe the U.S.'s scoring could plateau — Fox Sports attributed the USMNT with an xG of 4.9 prior to the match, comparable to that of Ecuador, Ivory Coast, Algeria and Iran (in three games). Nevertheless, the U.S. looked likely to conjure up some clear-cut scoring chances against a Belgium side that conceded a whopping 3.58 xG in its Round of 32 win over Senegal.
MORE: Meet Belgium's Charles De Ketelaere, who scored two goals vs. USA
Instead, the Americans looked lethargic in the attacking third. Folarin Balogun's shock return to the starting lineup should've been a boon for Pochettino's attack. But he was lacking steady service, tallying just 19 touches and one shot on target in the match.
All told, Pochettino's side recorded just seven shots against Belgium. Per ESPN, the U.S. finished with an expected goals figure of a measly 0.67, 0.53 of which came on set pieces. In other words, Pochettino's side was effectively toothless in open play, failing to use Balogun's pace to threaten the Red Devils' defense.
MORE: How old will Christian Pulisic, other USMNT stars be in 2030 World Cup?
Midfield toils
Rudi Garcia's decision to send Kevin De Bruyne and Jeremy Doku to the bench looked a curious choice before the game. Instead, it was a stroke of genius. The USMNT's strength has long been its midfield, with Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie and Malik Tillman offering steel and mobility in the middle of the park.
Garcia countered that dynamic by bringing in Amadou Onana and Nicolas Raskin, energetic ball-winners who are adept at getting around the pitch. Youri Tielemans offered similar dynamism in the No. 10 role, giving Belgium roaming midfielders to screen the Red Devils' defense.
MORE: How Matt Freese's disaster moment helped sink the USMNT
Onana was splendid in the game's opening moments, flicking balls away with his signature slide tackle. He was forced to the bench after suffering what appeared to be a serious injury in the first half. But Hans Vanaken played dutifully in his absence, claiming a long-range goal for his troubles.
Meanwhile, Adams, McKennie and Tillman failed to offer anything of note save for Tillman's goal — a spawny deflection from a free kick that served as a consolation tally more than anything else.
Poor defending leads to abundance of Belgium scoring chances
Having failed to concede more than a goal with Tim Ream and Chris Richards in defense, it's fair to say USMNT supporters were confident about their team's ability to defend.
Belgium ran the U.S. defense ragged in the Round of 16, however. Pochettino's side was too timid on De Ketelaere's opener, failing to clear a bouncing ball in the box and allowing Raskin to whip a cross into the eight-yard box unchallenged. Sergino Dest and Alex Freeman conspired to concede a soft second goal, failing to stop Leandro Trossard's cross while De Ketelaere rose above Ream to launch a fiery header into the corner of the net.
MORE: Christian Pulisic exits Round of 16 game vs. Belgium with injury
Belgium's third came from a calamitous bit of play from U.S. goalkeeper Matt Freese, while the fourth saw Freeman and Richards give the ball away cheaply outside of their own box. There were other big chances conceded during the fixture — Tielemans should've found the target just before De Ketelaere's first goal while Timothy Castagne stung Freese's fingertips with a stunning strike in the game's opening moments.
All of that is to say that the U.S.'s defense looked untenable for much of its contest against Belgium. When the Red Devils got a shot on target, it tended to leave the USMNT in trouble.
MORE: What's next for USMNT after 4-1 loss to Belgium
Rudi Garcia's tactics frustrate Pochettino
As previously mentioned, Garcia was the star of the show in the Belgians' beatdown of the USMNT. His decision to pack the midfield with mobile ball-winners left the U.S. on the back foot in its most important facet of play, while inserting Dodi Lukebakio into the starting lineup for Doku left Belgium more defensively solid, neutralizing Antonee Robinson's attacking threat. The Benfica man also was a willing outlet in transition, regularly bringing the Red Devils up the pitch with slaloming runs on the right flank.
Pochettino looked unprepared for Garcia's changes, which left Balogun isolated and saw the likes of Tillman, Dest and Christian Pulisic rendered invisible. Furthermore, the insertion of Doku and Romelu Lukaku in the game's waning moments provided Garcia's side with players capable of hurting the U.S. should Pochettino send too many players forward.
Garcia got his tactics spot-on in he game. He's the biggest reason that the Belgians are moving on in this year's tournament.
MORE: Grades for USA as Mauricio Pochettino eliminated from 2026 FIFA World Cup
English (US)