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Belgium Crushes USA, World Cup's Biggest Feel-Good Story
This morning, Belgium defeated the host nation USA 4-1 to advance. Ahead of the match, US President Trump was reportedly caught trying to interfere in the tournament through the FIFA president, Balogun became the first player in World Cup history to receive a red card and still play in the next match, US media predicted a 78% win probability before the game, with only 12% of fans supporting Belgium, and Belgian core De Bruyne even sat on the bench for the entire 90 minutes. Yet, under the witness of 60k US fans, they completed a resounding victory! It became the most inspirational comeback story of this tournament, dubbed by the media as "a victory against the unspoken rules," with Lukaku stating after the match, "This is the answer to all the doubters," as related hashtags topped trending charts in multiple countries.
Solidarity or throwing in the towel? When Belgium announced their starting 11, Rudy Garcia, who just the day before had taunted, "I just learned today that April Fool's Day in the US is July 5th," seemed ready to just go along with the hosts' wishes and not even try.
Doku was out, Lukaku was out, but most importantly, De Bruyne, who had started all 38 previous appearances for the national team, sat on the bench for 90 minutes. Throughout Belgian history, managers could let an out-of-form Hazard rest, could leave the loose-lipped Courtois off the roster, but De Bruyne was never someone you could do without, touch, or criticize.
This was perhaps the least impactful the "Golden Generation" had been since returning to the World Cup stage in 2014. However, in this match that required no motivation, the united European Red Devils unleashed astonishing fighting spirit, and leading the team to victory was precisely De Ketelaere, who had been treated as nothing more than a "consumable" until now.
As Belgium's most charismatic young star in recent years, the youngster more suited for fashion shows and runways was Red Bird's most important investment in Milan, but utterly unable to adapt to life at a top club, he has stagnated in development and now moved on to Atalanta. Although he started the first four matches of this tournament, he had yet to make any significant contribution.
However, this young man, who bears a striking resemblance to Kaká, is no mere pretty face. His two lightning-quick strikes near the goal early on sent the US team into a deep hole. His emergence was also a microcosm of Belgium's match philosophy—when the ball isn't controlled by superstars, "ordinary" players often develop a more instinctive chemistry.
Another hidden advantage of De Ketelaere and company becoming the protagonists was the solidity of the defense. Since the group stage, Belgium had conceded in every match except the one against Iran, but tonight, with compact positioning, they left the US team, accustomed to sprinting down the flanks, utterly unable to find the accelerator. Instead, it was the European Red Devils who counterattacked with deadly precision.
When the European Red Devils executed high pressing as a unit, the once-formidable hosts turned into paper tigers. Goalkeeper Fries rushed out of the box to clear the ball but only passed it directly to an opponent, leading to a comical own-goal scenario—the most bizarre "superstar blunder" of the tournament. This gift was even more satisfying than Belgium's second goal, which came from a team move. And who intercepted the ball? Once again, it was the destined protagonist, De Ketelaere.
When the Belgians ran riot, the hosts had nothing left to offer. Mistakes spread like a malignant disease throughout the entire US team. The aging Lukaku also joined the "kick them while they're down" party, regaining his youth in an instant as he intercepted, drove forward, and fired a low shot into the far corner.
This chance, with an expected goal probability of only 0.05, turned into the "Little Monster's" third goal of the tournament, yet it took him only 103 minutes in total. Who would have thought that the Lukaku who missed five sitters four years ago and furiously smashed the substitute bench's barrier would, after half a year without playing, transform into the most fearsome super-sub?
This morning, it seemed like Lukaku was delivering the knockout blow, but in reality, it was Belgium's bloodline dominance awakening. Since losing to the USA in the first World Cup in 1930, Belgium has won all seven subsequent encounters. And just before this match, during the March FIFA international break, Belgium had already beaten the US 5-2, with the same goal difference as today.
Moreover, the loudly boastful White House provided Belgium with extra mental motivation. In "Drawing Sword," Kong Jie had already prophesied everything: "Xie Baoqing, Xie Baoqing, why did you have to mess with that bastard Li Yunlong?"
Balogun's slump infects the entire team
As the first player in World Cup history to receive a red card but not immediately face a suspension, Balogun was locked in by the camera from the entrance and national anthem ceremony, his expression especially grave. A player who wasn't supposed to be the center of this incident, he unexpectedly found himself trending with countless negative comments, a real injustice given his recent hot streak.
Throughout the first half, Balogun was clearly affected by the controversy surrounding his suspension. Having been proactive in demanding the ball during the group stage, he seemed disengaged now, with only 10 touches—the fewest among outfield players on both sides. He was clearly not in his best form. Although he created the free kick that briefly leveled the score for the US, that seemed more like an accident.
In the second half, Balogun, still under a cloud, finally got his moment in the spotlight. He got a semi-one-on-one chance on the left side, but lacking confidence, his sliding shot was easily saved by Courtois with one hand. At that point, the hosts, already trailing 1-3, lost their best chance to build momentum, and the entire Lumen Field in Seattle let out a long sigh after a long silence.
In the group stage, even after scoring consecutive goals, Balogun would have been substituted by Pochettino to keep his form and give others a chance. But now, the US team, under immense pressure, could substitute anyone on the field except Balogun. Simply put, this self-inflicted slap in the face would be too heavy a burden for the US team and the entire US establishment to bear.
The final result of this "saving face at all costs" approach was having star player Pulisic substituted, having Pochettino bring on players who hadn't yet played in the tournament to take a bow even before stoppage time, and having the already chaotic team make consecutive mistakes in the final moments, conceding another goal. Four goals conceded, three stemming from their own errors, from veteran center-back Ream to Premier League star Richards—none were spared.