Folarin Balogun’s red card reprieve appeared to hinder rather than help his country as an out-of-sorts USA side were thrashed 4-1 by Belgium to end the co-hosts’ World Cup dreams.
The PR circus following FIFA’s decision to suspend his red card, including Donald Trump’s involvement in the supposedly independent process, appeared to only galvanise the Americans’ opponents and overwhelm themselves as Belgium left their hosts sleepless in Seattle to set up a quarter-final tie with Spain.
The Europeans were particularly dominant before half-time and could have been ahead inside a minute when Timothy Castagne forced Matt Freese into a full-stretch save, while the largely peripheral Balogun had just 11 touches in the opening period.
The USA showed none of their usual hallmarks of Pochettino verve and were unusually passive as schoolboy defending for each of the Belgian goals put paid to their World Cup hopes.
For Charles De Ketelaere’s early opener, three players hesitated to intercept Leandro Trossard’s bouncing cross allowing Nicolas Raskin to steal in and square for the Atalanta forward to tap home.
Shortly after the first hydration break the hosts were level courtesy of Malik Tillman’s deflected free-kick – their only shot on target of the opening period – before they switched off again 116 seconds later when De Ketelaere nodded home Trossard’s hanging cross at the back post.
Pochettino finally got through to his side at the break but just as momentum appeared to be turning in their favour, they shot themselves in the foot yet again as Freese was caught in possession outside his area and substitute Hans Vanaken’s long-range effort trickled beyond Tim Ream’s clumsy attempted interception.
Romelu Lukaku’s late fourth following another defensive howler from Chris Richards mattered little that point with the USA’s World Cup hopes already up in smoke – and questions to be asked about whether Trump’s intervention was worth the media furore which appeared to negatively affect his national side.
The key moments from Seattle
- 1: CLOSE! With just 46 seconds on the clock, Castagne aims a 25-yard effort at the top corner which Freese keeps out with a finger-tip save.
- 8: Tielemans should put dominant Belgian ahead but completely misses the ball from Lukebakio’s pull-back.
- 9: GOAL! Within a minute De Ketelaere makes amends as he taps home Raskin’s tee-up after hesitant USA defending.
- 31: GOAL! Tillman’s deflected free-kick wrong foots Courtois to bring the USA level with their first chance.
- 33: GOAL! De Ketelaere restores Belgium’s lead with a back-post header less than two minutes after the USA’s equaliser.
- 45: CHANCE! Balogun fires over following a long throw when Ngoy does enough to knock him off balance inside the area.
- 57: GOAL! Calamity. Freese is caught on the ball outside the box by De Ketelaere, before Vanaken’s weak effort somehow squirms past Ream’s attempted clearance to add a third.
- 90+3: GOAL! Richards is tackled by Lukaku on the edge of his own box and punished by the Belgian substitute who finishes smartly.
Analysis: Occasion gets better of USA – but why?
Sky Sports’ Ron Walker:
“The USA’s intensity and fast starts, often underpinned by the work of Christian Pulisic and Folarin Balogun in the final third and Weston McKennie’s free role just behind, were nowhere to be seen against Belgium in Seattle.
“Balogun had just 19 touches, one fewer than Jeremy Doku, who played the last 23 minutes. Pulisic struggled to get into the game before he was withdrawn injured while McKennie, whose late runs into the area have caused havoc in their run to the last 16, did not manage a single touch in the Belgium box.
“Why? Perhaps it was just one game too many. Their win over Bosnia-Herzegovina in the last 32 was their first knock-out victory since 2002.
“But with the sheer level of worldwide scrutiny surrounding the game it is hard to suggest the players were able to leave their feelings about the last few days in the dressing room.
“Because this was chalk-and-cheese to anything we have seen from Maurcio Pochettino’s side at this tournament, against a team who had flattered to deceive to this point.
“Instead, they were undoubtedly geed up by Balogun’s inclusion with a start almost as emphatic as a Belgian FA press release – and will now fancy their chances of giving Spain a real go in Los Angeles on Friday.”
