USA crash out of World Cup as Belgium run riot 4-1 after Balogun row

The United States have been dumped out of the World Cup at the round-of-16 stage, thrashed 4-1 by Belgium in Seattle in a match overshadowed by a bitter row over Folarin Balogun’s disputed red card.

Balogun had been handed a one-match ban following a contentious sending-off against Bosnia and Herzegovina, but the punishment was suspended for a probationary period after intervention from the very top of American politics.

President Donald Trump personally contacted FIFA president Gianni Infantino to push for the ban to be reviewed, and world football’s governing body ultimately allowed Balogun to line up against the Belgians. The Belgian FA responded with a strongly worded statement condemning the decision before kick-off.

De Ketelaere double sinks the hosts

On the pitch, it was Belgium’s players who delivered the real damage. Charles De Ketelaere put the visitors ahead inside nine minutes with a close-range tap-in, before Malik Tillman’s deflected free-kick levelled matters for Mauricio Pochettino’s side on 31 minutes.

The USA’s celebrations were short-lived. Leandro Trossard whipped in a cross for De Ketelaere to head home his second and restore Belgium’s lead before half-time.

The tie was effectively finished in the 57th minute when goalkeeper Matt Freese was caught well off his line. De Ketelaere robbed him of possession and squared for Hans Vanaken, who slotted into an empty net from 25 yards to make it 3-1.

Balogun, whose selection had dominated the pre-match narrative, had little impact beyond forcing a smart save from Thibaut Courtois when the score stood at 3-1.

Belgium’s fourth arrived after further defensive errors from the hosts, with Crystal Palace defender Chris Richards losing possession attempting to build from the back. Romelu Lukaku, the former Manchester United and Chelsea striker, pounced and fired emphatically into the far corner to complete a comprehensive rout.

Pochettino accepts USA were second best

Belgium now progress to face Spain in the quarter-finals on Friday 10 July, while the USA’s home World Cup ends in bruising fashion and fresh controversy.

Speaking after the defeat, Pochettino was frank in his assessment. “From the beginning we didn’t connect with the game. Even when we scored, 1-1, we concede in the next action. It was really tough from the beginning. I congratulate Belgium, they were better than us,” he said.

“It was not our day. It’s not to find excuses or argument, because we did not show normally what the team shows and that is the reality,” he added.

The USA now face further scrutiny over the handling of Balogun’s suspension, with questions likely to persist over FIFA’s decision to allow him to feature in such a high-profile fixture despite the original ban.

Read more: Pochettino stalls on USA future after World Cup last-16 mauling by Belgium