SEATTLE — Belgium ousted the United States from the World Cup with a 4-1 victory Monday night at Lumen Field, securing a spot in the quarterfinals. Charles De Ketelaere scored twice and assisted on another goal, highlighting Belgium’s offensive pressure and exposing U.S. defensive vulnerabilities.
The U.S. was bolstered by the return of star forward Folarin Balogun, whose red-card suspension was controversially lifted by FIFA. Despite this, American defenders conceded two first-half goals, with goalkeeper Matt Freese making a costly error that led to Belgium’s third goal early in the second half. Romelu Lukaku added Belgium’s final goal in stoppage time.
Malik Tillman scored for the U.S. in the 31st minute, his second goal of the tournament. The Americans had temporarily energized the crowd of 66,925 with that goal, but De Ketelaere responded shortly after, and Belgium dominated the remainder of the match. U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino expressed frustration, visibly kicking a rack in front of the bench after a defensive lapse.
Christian Pulisic watched from the bench after injuring his right foot during the match. He was replaced seven minutes after the injury. The U.S. team, seeking its first quarterfinal appearance since 2002, failed to progress beyond this stage for the first time in the expanded 48-team tournament. It also marked its seventh consecutive loss to Belgium since their 1930 World Cup meeting.
Belgium, which left stars Jérémy Doku and Kevin De Bruyne on the bench, pressed from the start and exposed the Americans’ defensive weaknesses. The game’s first goal came in the eighth minute, with De Ketelaere redirecting a long cross into the net. Belgium extended its lead with a goal from Hans Vanaken in the 57th minute, after a mistake by Freese in goal.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
