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Belgium thrash USA 4-1; set up Spain showdown
🇳🇬 Nigeria /Sports

Belgium thrash USA 4-1; set up Spain showdown

From Vanguard · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News From a news agency Context piece
  • Belgium decisively defeated the United States 4-1 in a FIFA World Cup knockout match, advancing to the quarterfinals.
  • Key goals for Belgium came from Charles De Ketelaere (two), Hans Vanaken, and Romelu Lukaku, while the US struggled despite a controversial pre-match eligibility ruling for striker Folarin Balogun.
  • Belgium will face Spain in the quarterfinals, following Spain's victory over Portugal in what was Cristiano Ronaldo's final World Cup match.

Belgium ended the United States' World Cup journey with a dominant 4-1 victory, securing a quarterfinal berth against Spain. The match, held at Seattle's Lumen Field, saw a resurgent Belgian side dismantle the co-hosts' aspirations with clinical finishing.

Charles De Ketelaere opened the scoring in the ninth minute, and after Malik Tillman equalized for the US in the 31st minute with a deflected free-kick, De Ketelaere quickly restored Belgium's lead with a header just two minutes later. Hans Vanaken extended the lead in the 57th minute following a significant error by US goalkeeper Matt Freese, who was caught out of his area. Veteran striker Romelu Lukaku added a fourth goal in stoppage time, sealing a comprehensive win.

Let’s be honest: we held a meeting when we heard the news. We told ourselves we needed to do our talking on the pitch. That’s what we did today. I’m very proud of the team.

— Youri TielemansBelgium's captain reflecting on the team's motivation after the controversy surrounding Folarin Balogun.

The US team's performance was a stark contrast to their earlier tournament displays. Coach Mauricio Pochettino acknowledged the team's collective and individual shortcomings on the day. The match was preceded by significant controversy surrounding the eligibility of US striker Folarin Balogun, whose one-game ban was controversially overturned by FIFA shortly before kickoff. Despite being named in the starting lineup, Balogun had a minimal impact on the game.

Today we were not the same team that we have been during the tournament. It was a very bad day, it wasn’t our day in a collective and individual way.

— Mauricio PochettinoUS coach commenting on his team's disappointing performance against Belgium.

Belgian players expressed a sense of injustice regarding the Balogun situation, which they channeled into motivation on the pitch. Captain Youri Tielemans stated the team held a meeting and resolved to "do their talking on the pitch." Belgium's Nicolas Raskin echoed this sentiment, noting the squad's determination to respond through their performance.

Belgium now prepares to face Spain in Los Angeles on Friday. Spain secured their spot in the quarterfinals by defeating Portugal 1-0 in a match that marked the final World Cup appearance for Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo.

There was a sense of injustice within the squad. We were determined to respond on the field.

— Nicolas RaskinBelgium's player discussing the team's reaction to the Balogun eligibility issue.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Vanguard. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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