The U.S. Men’s National Team couldn’t get out of its own way in Monday’s Round of 16 game with Belgium.
The Americans, the focus of an international uproar in the 36 hours leading to the opening kickoff, gave up a pair of soft goals in the first half, then a backbreaker on a youth league-level mistake by keeper Matt Freese in the second half, on the way to a 4-1 loss that ends the country’s run in the 2026 World Cup.
Pending, that is, a call from Donald Trump to FIFA President Gianni Infantino to try to get Belgium’s four goals overturned, in which case, we just watched a 1-0 USMNT win.
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Belgium, ranked ninth in the FIFA world rankings, dominated from the jump – with a 21-12 advantage in touches in the opponent’s box, a 15-7 advantage in shots, a 7-2 advantage in shots on goal and a 4-0 advantage in big chances created.
You have to wonder how much the uproar over Trump’s meddlesome intervention in the matter of the automatic one-game suspension for star American striker Folarin Balogun weighed on the USMNT side.
The Americans, ranked 16th in the world rankings coming in, didn’t get their first shot on goal until the 31st minute, on a free kick from 27 yards off the foot of Malik Tillman, who scored his second free kick goal of the tournament on the deflection of a Belgian defender in the wall.
That one tied the score, briefly, at 1-1, before the Belgians took advantage of a relaxed USMNT post-goal, scoring 61 seconds later, on a header by Charles De Ketelaere, who had scored the first goal of the night in the ninth minute off a defensive miscue.
The Americans, in need of an equalizer, seemed to be back in control of the flow of the game in the opening minutes of the second half, but Freese’s misplay on a long pass on a deft counterattack led to an empty-net goal for Hans Vanaken in the 57th minute that put Belgium up 3-1, and seemed to take the wind out of the USMNT’s sails.
The best chances for the Americans came in the 79th minute, when Sebastian Berhalter collected a pass just outside the box and laser-beamed a shot toward the goal off his left foot, but the shot sailed just wide of the goal, and three minutes later, when Balogun, in a one-on-one from the left side of the box, had his shot attempt saved by Belgian keeper Thibaut Courtois.
Balogun, who had 19 touches, three shots and one shot on goal, was, as we are all well aware, the focus of global intrigue in the 36 hours before kickoff, amid reports that Trump had been pushing hard for Infantino and FIFA to reverse a one-game suspension for the striker from the 2-0 USMNT win over Bosnia & Herzegovina on July 1.
After days of legal wrangling, FIFA announced on Sunday that Balogun’s suspension would be lifted, setting off an understandably furious response worldwide.
The hurt external feelings didn’t factor into what we saw on the field Monday night, but you do have to wonder if the goings-on behind the scenes over the past two days might have played a role – even just as foundational as, USMNT coach Mauricio Pochettino would have had to have game planned around Balogun not being available, then on the eve of the game, had to rip up that game plan, and his planned rotations.
Could be that the Americans might have been better off with Balogun being available to play.
But then, Trump wouldn’t have been able to take credit, which we all know, is the most important thing.
We’re still awaiting the status of the call to Infantino regarding Belgium’s four goals, and will update this story when FIFA advances the USMNT to the quarters.
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Chris Graham
