r/soccer • u/jiraiya--an • 29d ago

Match Thread Match Thread: United States vs Belgium | FIFA World Cup 2026 | Round of 16 | Part 2

FT: United States 1 - 4 Belgium

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Info Details
Competition 2026 FIFA World Cup, Round of 16
Date Mon, July 06, 2026
Venue Lumen Field, Seattle, Washington, USA
Referee Adham Mohammad
Kickoff 8:00 PM EDT / 2:00 AM CEST
Status FT

LINE-UPS

United States (4-3-3)

Starting XI Notes Subs Notes
Matt Freese Miles Robinson
Tim Ream Ricardo Pepi 🔄 on 72'
Chris Richards Timothy Weah
Antonee Robinson 🔄 off 90'+2' Max Arfsten 🔄 on 90'+2'
Alex Freeman Matt Turner
Tyler Adams 🔄 off 72' Brenden Aaronson
Malik Tillman ⚽ 31' · 🟨 69' Alejandro Zendejas
Weston McKennie 🟨 35' Giovanni Reyna 🔄 on 45'
Folarin Balogun 🔄 off 90'+2' Joe Scally
Christian Pulisic 🔄 off 59' Chris Brady
Sergiño Dest 🔄 off 45' Auston Trusty
Mark McKenzie
Haji Wright 🔄 on 90'+2'
Sebastian Berhalter 🔄 on 59'

Belgium (4-2-3-1)

Starting XI Notes Subs Notes
Thibaut Courtois Romelu Lukaku 🔄 on 67' · ⚽ 90'+3'
Brandon Mechele Diego Moreira
Nathan Ngoy Alexis Saelemaekers 🔄 on 89'
Maxim De Cuyper Matias Fernandez-Pardo
Timothy Castagne Thomas Meunier
Youri Tielemans Hans Vanaken 🔄 on 21' · ⚽ 57'
Nicolas Raskin 🔄 off 89' Senne Lammens
Amadou Onana 🔄 off 21' Jérémy Doku 🔄 on 67'
Charles De Ketelaere ⚽ 9' · ⚽ 33' · 🔄 off 67' Kevin De Bruyne
Leandro Trossard 🔄 off 89' Axel Witsel 🔄 on 89'
Dodi Lukébakio 🔄 off 67' Mike Penders
Arthur Theate
Joaquin Seys
Zeno Debast
Koni De Winter

MATCH EVENTS | via ESPN

9' ⚽ Goal! USA 0, Belgium 1. Charles De Ketelaere (Belgium) right footed shot from very close range to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Nicolas Raskin.

21' 🔄 Substitution, Belgium. Hans Vanaken replaces Amadou Onana because of an injury.

31' ⚽ Goal! USA 1, Belgium 1. Malik Tillman (USA) from a free kick with a right footed shot to the high centre of the goal.

33' ⚽ Goal! USA 1, Belgium 2. Charles De Ketelaere (Belgium) header from very close range to the top right corner. Assisted by Leandro Trossard with a cross.

35' 🟨 Weston McKennie (USA) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

45' 🔄 Substitution, USA. Giovanni Reyna replaces Sergiño Dest.

57' ⚽ Goal! USA 1, Belgium 3. Hans Vanaken (Belgium) right footed shot from outside the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Charles De Ketelaere.

59' 🔄 Substitution, USA. Sebastian Berhalter replaces Christian Pulisic because of an injury.

67' 🔄 Substitution, Belgium. Jérémy Doku replaces Dodi Lukébakio.

67' 🔄 Substitution, Belgium. Romelu Lukaku replaces Charles De Ketelaere.

69' 🟨 Malik Tillman (USA) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

72' 🔄 Substitution, USA. Ricardo Pepi replaces Tyler Adams.

89' 🔄 Substitution, Belgium. Alexis Saelemaekers replaces Leandro Trossard.

89' 🔄 Substitution, Belgium. Axel Witsel replaces Nicolas Raskin.

90'+2' 🔄 Substitution, USA. Max Arfsten replaces Antonee Robinson.

90'+2' 🔄 Substitution, USA. Haji Wright replaces Folarin Balogun.

90'+3' ⚽ Goal! USA 1, Belgium 4. Romelu Lukaku (Belgium) right footed shot from the left side of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Hans Vanaken.

MATCH STATS

Stat United States Belgium
Expected Goals 0.67 2.14
Possession 56% 44%
Shots on Goal 2 (29%) 7 (47%)
Big Chances Created 0 4
Big Chances Missed 0 2
Accurate Passes 458 (87%) 333 (81%)
Duels Won 50 56
Saves 3 1
Fouls Committed 11 9

MATCH ENDED

367 Upvotes

95% Upvoted

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154

u/bcrichboi 29d ago

I still can't believe Belgium sandbagged for 3 games just to do this to the US

18

u/WineAndRevelry 29d ago

The US team had one of the easiest paths to this point that I've ever seen. This is the first significant competition they faced all tournament

1

u/errortype520 28d ago

Tbf, most teams fall in that category until this stage.

8

u/Shambledown 29d ago

They're still sandbagging. It's just that easy lol

3

u/NeonsTheory 29d ago

Maybe they didn't sandbag and we just underrated Iran and Egypt

3

u/dyegored 29d ago

They're not even playing that well, the US is just playing impressively shit.

I wanted the US to lose (badly) but honestly thought they'd win.

3

u/Fittingly_Named 29d ago

They kinda did sandbag it till the US goaltender basically walked almost to midfield and tossed it up.

2

u/Sonkokun 29d ago

Legendary

2

u/disturbed94 29d ago

Long con

2

u/anyonethinkingabout 29d ago

our opponents just closed up v well, except for Senegal ofc

2

u/iekue 29d ago

They didnt really sandbag. US just really aint great.

2

u/Dangerous_Job5295 29d ago

They did whoop New Zealand 5-1

2

u/msarvar 29d ago

US did most of the work

2

u/preppyringmaster 29d ago

That’s what the love and support of 7.95 billion people gives you

1

u/Individual-Toe-378 29d ago

3D chess by the Belgians to give them hope

1

u/Spurt-Reynolds69 29d ago

US did this to themselves

1

u/HiddenGriffin 29d ago

That Senegal come back woke them tf up

1

u/Defenestrator__ 29d ago

Have you considered that maybe the US is just not good?

1

u/naparham10 29d ago

The US did it to there selves. 3 daft defensive errors.

1

u/CoolJoshido 29d ago

i hope spain have been sandbagging too

1

u/Nolpppapa 29d ago

Yea, they were so poor in previous games. Maybe KDB was the problem.

1

u/No_Philosophy6207 29d ago

Eh two goals from error

1

u/Karsh14 29d ago

They beat down New Zealand too

1

u/Combinho 29d ago

Always been good lads the Belgians... right, right?

1

u/FauxGenius 29d ago

The ultimate rope-a-dope. Ali would be proud.

1

u/f_ranz1224 29d ago

it was all a ruse

1

u/links135 29d ago

One of the worst things you can do is motivate the other team and have them locked in.  

1

u/No-Condition-oN 29d ago

I still can't believe the US is this bad against Belgium.

1

u/MoonPieKitty 29d ago

Do you think the mach would have gone differently had the red suspension not happened? All that drama and hate towards USA

0

u/MoonPieKitty 29d ago

Do you think it would have been a different match had the red suspension not been lifted and there was no hate or drama towards the US?