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Belgium Crushes USA, Biggest Underdog Story of the World Cup
This morning, Belgium defeated the host nation USA 4-1 to advance. Before the match, US President Trump was reportedly caught trying to influence the game through the FIFA president. Balogun became the first player in World Cup history to receive a red card yet still play in the next match. US media predicted a 78% win chance before the game, while Belgium had only 12% fan support. Belgian core De Bruyne even sat on the bench for the full 90 minutes, yet they pulled off a massive victory in front of 60k American fans! This became the most inspirational comeback story of the tournament, hailed by the media as "a victory against the unspoken rules." Lukaku said after the match, "This is the answer to all the doubters." The related hashtag trended in multiple countries.
United in anger? Or just throwing in the towel? When Belgium announced their starting 11, Rudi Garcia, who just the day before had quipped, "I just learned today that April Fools' Day in the US is July 5th," seemed ready to just hand the win to the hosts, as if they didn't want to play.
No Doku, no Lukaku, but most importantly, De Bruyne, who had started all 38 previous appearances for the national team, sat on the bench for 90 minutes. Every Belgian coach in history could rest an out-of-form Hazard or leave out the loose-lipped Courtois, but De Bruyne? He's indispensable, untouchable, and immune to criticism.
This might be the least impactful Belgium has felt since the "Golden Generation" returned to the World Cup stage in 2014. Yet in a match that needed no extra motivation, the united Red Devils unleashed astonishing fighting spirit, and leading the charge was De Ketelaere, previously considered nothing but a "consumable."
As Belgium's most charismatic young star in recent years, De Ketelaere, better suited for fashion shows and runways, was once RedBird's most important investment in Milan. But completely unable to adapt to life at a top club, his development stalled. Now at Atalanta, he had started the first four games of the tournament without making any real impact.
However, this young man, who bears a striking resemblance to Kaká, is no mere flash in the pan. His two quick strikes in front of goal sent the US team into an early deep hole. His emergence was the epitome of Belgium's philosophy in this match: when the ball isn't controlled by a superstar, "ordinary" players develop a more intuitive chemistry.
Another hidden advantage of De Ketelaere becoming the protagonist was the solidity of the defense. Since the group stage, Belgium had conceded in every match except the draw with Iran, but tonight, their compact shape left the US, accustomed to sprinting down the wings, unable to find the throttle. Instead, Belgium's swift counterattacks cut like a knife through butter.
When every Red Devil executed high pressing, the once-fearsome hosts turned into paper tigers. Goalkeeper Vries rushed out of his box to clear the ball but passed it straight to an opponent, leading to a comical empty-net goal—the most embarrassing "superstar blunder" of the tournament. This gift was even more satisfying than Belgium's second goal, a team effort. And who intercepted the ball? Once again, the man of the hour, De Ketelaere.
Once the Belgians were on fire, the hosts had nothing left. Mistakes spread through the US team like a contagious disease. The aging Lukaku joined the "kick them while they're down" party, turning back the clock from intercepting the ball to driving forward and slotting it into the far corner.
That chance, with an expected goal probability of only 0.05, became the "Little Beast's" third goal of the tournament, in just 103 minutes on the pitch. Who would have thought that the Lukaku who missed five big chances in a single match four years ago, angrily smashing the substitute bench's glass panel, would become the most fearsome super sub after half a year without a club?
This morning, it seemed like Lukaku was the one delivering a devastating blow, but it was actually Belgium's bloodline dominance awakening. Since losing to the US in the first World Cup in 1930, Belgium has won all seven subsequent meetings. Just before this match, in March's FIFA international window, Belgium had already beaten the US 5-2, with the same goal difference.
Moreover, the White House's loud and arrogant antics gave Belgium extra mental fuel. As Kong Jie said in "Drawing Sword," "Xie Baoqing, why did you have to provoke that bastard Li Yunlong?"
Balogun's Slump Infects the Whole Team
As the first player in World Cup history to receive a red card in a tournament match and not be immediately suspended, Balogun was constantly in the camera's focus during the entry and national anthem ceremonies, his expression heavy. Someone who shouldn't have been the center of attention found himself trending for all the wrong reasons, a real misfortune for a player in great form.
Throughout the first half, Balogun was clearly affected by the suspension controversy. Usually proactive in calling for the ball during the group stage, he seemed disengaged, with only 10 touches—the fewest among all outfield players—clearly not at his best. Although he won the free kick that led to the US's equalizer, it felt more like a fluke.
In the second half, Balogun, still in a low-energy state, finally got a chance in the spotlight. He had a semi-breakaway on the left, but lacking confidence, he attempted a sliding shot that Courtois easily saved with one hand. At 1-3 down, the hosts lost their best chance to build momentum, and the entire Lumen Field let out a long, deep sigh.
In the group stage, even after scoring multiple goals, Balogun would have been substituted by Pochettino to rest and give others a chance. But now, with the US team roasted on the fire, they could sub anyone on the field except Balogun. Simply put, self-inflicted humiliation of that magnitude was too heavy for the US team and the entire American establishment to bear.
The ultimate result of "saving face at the cost of suffering" was that star player Pulisic was subbed off, that before injury time, Pochettino brought on players who hadn't yet appeared in the tournament for a final farewell, and that the already flustered team kept making mistakes and conceded another goal in the dying moments. Of the four goals conceded, three came from their own errors, from veteran captain Ream to Premier League regular Richards—none were spared.
Belgium Crushes USA, Biggest Underdog Story of the World Cup
This morning, Belgium defeated the host nation USA 4-1 to advance. Before the match, US President Trump was reportedly caught trying to influence the game through the FIFA president. Balogun became the first player in World Cup history to receive a red card yet still play in the next match. US media predicted a 78% win chance before the game, while Belgium had only 12% fan support. Belgian core De Bruyne even sat on the bench for the full 90 minutes, yet they pulled off a massive victory in front of 60k American fans! This became the most inspirational comeback story of the tournament, hailed by the media as "a victory against the unspoken rules." Lukaku said after the match, "This is the answer to all the doubters." The related hashtag trended in multiple countries.
United in anger? Or just throwing in the towel? When Belgium announced their starting 11, Rudi Garcia, who just the day before had quipped, "I just learned today that April Fools' Day in the US is July 5th," seemed ready to just hand the win to the hosts, as if they didn't want to play.
No Doku, no Lukaku, but most importantly, De Bruyne, who had started all 38 previous appearances for the national team, sat on the bench for 90 minutes. Every Belgian coach in history could rest an out-of-form Hazard or leave out the loose-lipped Courtois, but De Bruyne? He's indispensable, untouchable, and immune to criticism.
This might be the least impactful Belgium has felt since the "Golden Generation" returned to the World Cup stage in 2014. Yet in a match that needed no extra motivation, the united Red Devils unleashed astonishing fighting spirit, and leading the charge was De Ketelaere, previously considered nothing but a "consumable."
As Belgium's most charismatic young star in recent years, De Ketelaere, better suited for fashion shows and runways, was once RedBird's most important investment in Milan. But completely unable to adapt to life at a top club, his development stalled. Now at Atalanta, he had started the first four games of the tournament without making any real impact.
However, this young man, who bears a striking resemblance to Kaká, is no mere flash in the pan. His two quick strikes in front of goal sent the US team into an early deep hole. His emergence was the epitome of Belgium's philosophy in this match: when the ball isn't controlled by a superstar, "ordinary" players develop a more intuitive chemistry.
Another hidden advantage of De Ketelaere becoming the protagonist was the solidity of the defense. Since the group stage, Belgium had conceded in every match except the draw with Iran, but tonight, their compact shape left the US, accustomed to sprinting down the wings, unable to find the throttle. Instead, Belgium's swift counterattacks cut like a knife through butter.
When every Red Devil executed high pressing, the once-fearsome hosts turned into paper tigers. Goalkeeper Vries rushed out of his box to clear the ball but passed it straight to an opponent, leading to a comical empty-net goal—the most embarrassing "superstar blunder" of the tournament. This gift was even more satisfying than Belgium's second goal, a team effort. And who intercepted the ball? Once again, the man of the hour, De Ketelaere.
Once the Belgians were on fire, the hosts had nothing left. Mistakes spread through the US team like a contagious disease. The aging Lukaku joined the "kick them while they're down" party, turning back the clock from intercepting the ball to driving forward and slotting it into the far corner.
That chance, with an expected goal probability of only 0.05, became the "Little Beast's" third goal of the tournament, in just 103 minutes on the pitch. Who would have thought that the Lukaku who missed five big chances in a single match four years ago, angrily smashing the substitute bench's glass panel, would become the most fearsome super sub after half a year without a club?
This morning, it seemed like Lukaku was the one delivering a devastating blow, but it was actually Belgium's bloodline dominance awakening. Since losing to the US in the first World Cup in 1930, Belgium has won all seven subsequent meetings. Just before this match, in March's FIFA international window, Belgium had already beaten the US 5-2, with the same goal difference.
Moreover, the White House's loud and arrogant antics gave Belgium extra mental fuel. As Kong Jie said in "Drawing Sword," "Xie Baoqing, why did you have to provoke that bastard Li Yunlong?"
Balogun's Slump Infects the Whole Team
As the first player in World Cup history to receive a red card in a tournament match and not be immediately suspended, Balogun was constantly in the camera's focus during the entry and national anthem ceremonies, his expression heavy. Someone who shouldn't have been the center of attention found himself trending for all the wrong reasons, a real misfortune for a player in great form.
Throughout the first half, Balogun was clearly affected by the suspension controversy. Usually proactive in calling for the ball during the group stage, he seemed disengaged, with only 10 touches—the fewest among all outfield players—clearly not at his best. Although he won the free kick that led to the US's equalizer, it felt more like a fluke.
In the second half, Balogun, still in a low-energy state, finally got a chance in the spotlight. He had a semi-breakaway on the left, but lacking confidence, he attempted a sliding shot that Courtois easily saved with one hand. At 1-3 down, the hosts lost their best chance to build momentum, and the entire Lumen Field let out a long, deep sigh.
In the group stage, even after scoring multiple goals, Balogun would have been substituted by Pochettino to rest and give others a chance. But now, with the US team roasted on the fire, they could sub anyone on the field except Balogun. Simply put, self-inflicted humiliation of that magnitude was too heavy for the US team and the entire American establishment to bear.
The ultimate result of "saving face at the cost of suffering" was that star player Pulisic was subbed off, that before injury time, Pochettino brought on players who hadn't yet appeared in the tournament for a final farewell, and that the already flustered team kept making mistakes and conceded another goal in the dying moments. Of the four goals conceded, three came from their own errors, from veteran captain Ream to Premier League regular Richards—none were spared.
