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Team USA’s run at the 2026 FIFA World Cup is over.
Belgium, in front of a sold-out, USA-heavy crowd in Seattle, defeated the USMNT, 4-1, in a game where they capitalized on their opponents’ mistakes.
Charles De Ketelaere was the man who not only scored just nine minutes into the game for Belgium, but his 39th-minute goal had Team USA manager Mauricio Pochettino kicking water bottles on the touchline.
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Christian Pulisic of USA in the first half against Belgium during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round Of 16 match at Seattle Stadium on July 6, 2026 in Seattle, USA. (John Todd/ISI Images)
The reason? Malik Tillman, who scored a free kick against Bosnia-Herzegovina in the Round of 16 win in the Bay Area, took another one straight in front of Belgium’s box, deflecting off a Belgian defender and dispossessing legendary goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois to tie the game at one apiece.
The momentum was back for the USMNT at that moment in the 37th minute. But once again, shot defense for the USA resulted in an easy goal for De Ketelaere right in front of Matt Freese’s net.
USA COACH MAURICIO POCHETTINO KICKS POWERADE BOTTLES IN FRUSTRATION AS TEAM’S FIRST-HALF DEFENSE LOOKS SMOKING
However, Freese had his own massive mistake in the second half that shattered the momentum that had conjured up while he was down by a goal.
In the 57th minute came a total game-changer when Freese decided to leave his net as De Ketelaere chased the through ball. Freese got there first, but as he tried to clear the ball, his foot got caught in the turf.
United States goalkeeper Matt Freese reacts after Belgium midfielder Hans Vanaken scores against him as Belgium players celebrate during the second half of a World Cup Round of 16 match between the United States and Belgium at Lumen Field on Monday, July 6, 2026, in Seattle, WA. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
In a desperation attempt, he tried to kick it with his right foot, but De Ketelaere got in the way and Hans Vanaken kicked it past Freese and Ream, who couldn’t turn his body to save it for one of the worst goals conceded by a team at this World Cup.
Overall, it wasn’t Team USA’s best effort at the moment they needed it most in the Round of 16.
To make matters worse, Pochettino was forced to replace Christian Pulisic, dubbed “Captain America”, after an attempted shot resulted in an injury. Pulisic ended up with a right-footed kick as a Belgian defender stepped in front of him. Instead of kicking the ball, Pulisic put his back heel on the Belgian defender and he went down in clear pain.
Pulisic tried to run it off, but with a clear limp, Pochettino sent Sebastian Berhalter on instead.
As for the biggest story in this match, Folarin Balogun, who became available after FIFA invoked Article 27 of its disciplinary code to suspend his red card, was not much of a factor for the team. Belgium did a good job of buttoning up their defense and Balogun never got a clean look to find the back of the net as he has in previous games.
The USA tried desperately to get back into the game, especially when Berhalter narrowly missed getting a ball past Courtois, but it went just wide to the left. However, Belgium did their defensive duties and refused to allow what Senegal did to them in the round of 16 – a miraculous second-half comeback.
Charles De Ketelaere of Belgium celebrates with teammate Dodi Lukebakio after scoring his team’s second goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 match between the United States and Belgium at Seattle Stadium on July 6, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Alex Grimm/Getty Images)
Instead, Romelu Lukaku, Belgium’s superstar striker, put a cherry on top of their win with a goal after the break past Freese in the second half. It was quite a statement of a game, they dominated throughout.
As you might expect, it was a dismal group for the USA after the loss, while Belgium celebrated their place in the quarter-finals, where they will face Spain later this week.
