Charles De Ketelaere scored twice and added an assist as Belgium defeated the United States 4-1 on Monday night in Seattle, ending American hopes for a deep World Cup run on home soil and earning a quarterfinal berth.
The U.S. was boosted by the return of star forward Folarin Balogun, whose one-game red-card suspension was controversially lifted by FIFA. However, American defenders were at fault for two first-half goals, and goalkeeper Matt Freese’s error gave Belgium a third goal early in the second half.
Belgium Dominates Early
De Ketelaere put Belgium ahead in the eighth minute, the first time the U.S. conceded first in this year’s tournament. Dodi Lukébakio made a long diagonal pass to the opposite corner, leading to the opening goal. Leandro Troussard controlled the ball, and his cross was blocked by Alex Freeman and popped into the air. Freeman headed the ball into the penalty area, and Timothy Castagne hooked a centering pass around Chris Richards. De Ketelaere split defenders Tim Ream and Antonee Robinson and redirected the ball with his right foot into an open net.
Malik Tillman tied the score 1-1 in the 31st minute with his second free kick goal of the tournament, energizing a crowd of 66,925 at Lumen Field. Tillman scored after Brandon Mechele knocked down Balogun about 25 yards from goal. Tillman’s kick deflected off Hans Vanaken’s head and beat goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, who had dived right.
However, the Americans conceded just 61 seconds after the ensuing kickoff. Troussard got around Sergiño Dest for a cross, and De Ketelaere outjumped Ream to head the ball past Freese in the 33rd minute for his eighth international goal. U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino showed his frustration by kicking a rack in front of the bench, sending four water bottles flying.
Second-Half Collapse
Belgium built a two-goal lead in the 57th minute when Mechele lofted a long ball that Freese chested after two hops. Freese hesitated with a touch, then scrambled and kicked the ball off De Ketelaere. Vanaken one-timed a shot from 35 yards that deflected in off Ream, who tried for an off-balance clearance.
American star Christian Pulisic watched from the bench after injuring his right foot when he hit the boot of Belgium captain Youri Tielemans on a 52nd-minute shot attempt. Pulisic favored his foot after that and was replaced seven minutes later.
Second-half substitute Romelu Lukaku added Belgium’s final goal in the third minute of stoppage time after his team stripped the ball from Richards.
Historical Context and Implications
Seeking its first World Cup title, Belgium knocked the U.S. out in the round of 16 for the second time in 12 years and extended its unbeaten streak to 18 games. The Red Devils play 2010 champion Spain on Friday at Inglewood, California, for a semifinal berth against France or Morocco.
After winning three games in a World Cup for the first time in this expanded 48-nation tournament, the U.S. failed in its quest to reach the quarterfinals for the first time since 2002. The Americans lost to Belgium for the seventh straight time since a victory at the initial tournament in 1930. They have dropped 11 of their last 12 games against European opponents, winning only their round of 32 match against Bosnia-Herzegovina.
All six CONCACAF nations have been eliminated, with co-hosts U.S., Mexico, and Canada all falling in the round of 16. All quarterfinalists will come from Europe, South America, and Africa, reinforcing the weakness of CONCACAF and Asia.
