Nutshell: Jittery USMNT Outclassed by Belgium in World Cup Exit
- Steve Titcomb
- 1 day ago
- 2 min read
The USMNT was a shell of themselves against Belgium.
Where to start? Folarin Balogun red card suspension/fiasco aside, the USMNT from the previous four games failed to show up in their Round of 16 match. Belgium stifled the midfield that had looked so strong early in the tournament throughout the first half, and a severe case of nerves had the USMNT making several mistakes that led to a goal in the first half and another in the second.
What Went Wrong?
The USMNT came out tentative and unsure of themselves. They played on their back foot and were looking for penalties instead of putting the ball in the 18. A lot of turnovers stifled any momentum that the team tried to build. Players got caught looking at a ball in the 18 and allowed Belgium to step in and score a very early goal. Malik Tillman converted another free kick goal, but that was quickly erased when Belgium ran down the field and went back up by one.
Injuries and Blunders
The first eight minutes of the 2nd half looked very promising. The USMNT was able to push and keep the ball upfield with a few opportunities to score, but then Christian Pulisic turned up limp after a failed shot that had him hobbling around and the USMNT playing down a man. This was followed up with a horrible error by Matt Freese, who hesitated to clear a ball. This allowed Belgium to score an easy goal and go up 3-1.
No Answers
The USMNT tried fighting back, but were just outclassed by the stronger Belgian side. There’s a reason they’re ranked top 10 in the world. A late Romelu Lukaku goal put them up 4-1 and that was all she wrote.
This was a disappointing end to a promising World Cup. There were still a lot of positives throughout the tournament as a whole, and hopefully Mauricio Pochettino sticks around as manager and continues to build a side that can competes with the world’s elite.
More to Come
The World Cup may be over for the USMNT, but there’s still a lot of exciting soccer left to be played in the next two weeks, in what has been a thrilling World Cup thus far.
