Belgium Ends USA’s Home World Cup Dream With Ruthless 4-1 Round of 16 Win

Seattle — The United States’ summer of soccer at its own World Cup came to an abrupt and painful end Monday night, as Belgium dismantled the hosts 4-1 at Lumen Field to book a quarterfinal date with Spain.

Belgium seized control from the opening whistle. Only a fabulous save from USA goalkeeper Matt Freese kept Belgium from going ahead in the first minute, but the reprieve was brief. Charles De Ketelaere opened the scoring in the ninth minute, ghosting in to tap in Nicolas Raskin’s clever pass across the face of goal.

The US found a lifeline against the run of play. Balogun won a foul and Malik Tillman swept the free kick in via a big deflection to bring the USA level. But parity lasted less than a minute — just 56 seconds later, De Ketelaere rose brilliantly to head home a Leandro Trossard cross from close range for his brace and a 2-1 halftime lead.

The second half unraveled through self-inflicted errors. A mistake from goalkeeper Matt Freese, dawdling on the ball outside his own penalty box, saw De Ketelaere steal possession and set up Hans Vanaken for an easy third. Romelu Lukaku then made it four deep in stoppage time following Vanaken’s determined pressing, sealing an emphatic result. The strike added to Lukaku’s standing as the all-time record goalscorer for the Red Devils.

The scoreline flattered no one. Belgium outperformed their opponents on expected goals 2.15 to 0.67, advancing to the quarterfinal stage for the third tournament in a row. For the hosts, it was a familiar heartbreak — eliminated by Belgium, the same team that knocked them out in 2014.

Hanging over the night was the red-card saga that dominated the buildup. Much of the world took joy in the US’ humiliation after the controversy over FIFA’s decision to suspend Folarin Balogun’s one-game ban following a red card in the Round of 32. President Donald Trump said he had asked FIFA president Gianni Infantino to review Balogun’s red card, sparking accusations of the US president interfering in the tournament. Balogun started — and Belgium answered on the field. The Red Devils had the added motivation of the overturned suspension, but as one account put it, if a team needs extra motivation for a World Cup match, they have already lost.

There was one small consolation for Mauricio Pochettino’s side: the US did finally win a knockout match at the World Cup for the first time since 2002 in the previous round. But bowing out at the same stage as four years ago has to sting — and many US players were in tears after the final whistle. Christian Pulisic’s night ended early, too — forced off with an ankle injury in the second half.

What’s next: a daunting date with Spain

The reward for Belgium’s statement win is anything but gentle. They travel to Los Angeles Stadium in four days to face Spain, and the Red Devils will know the step up in class is steep. Where the USA offered errors to punish, Spain offers control — the kind of relentless possession game that doesn’t gift away cheap chances.

Belgium will take real belief from the manner of this performance. Rudi Garcia’s willingness to make bold calls — most strikingly, benching Kevin De Bruyne and Jérémy Doku for the US match and being vindicated — suggests a side playing without fear. De Ketelaere arrives in the form of the tournament, and in Lukaku they have a finisher who keeps rewriting the national scoring record. If those two stay sharp, Belgium can hurt anyone.

But the defensive questions that Belgium papered over against a sloppy US side will face a far harsher examination. Spain’s midfield will dominate the ball, and Belgium may spend long stretches chasing it, forced to defend deep and strike on the counter — a very different game plan from the front-foot dominance they enjoyed in Seattle. Discipline at the back and clinical efficiency in transition will likely decide whether this run continues.

For a Belgian generation that has carried the “golden” label for years without a major trophy, a quarterfinal against Spain is exactly the kind of test that separates a good tournament from a memorable one. Win it, and talk of a genuine deep run becomes serious.