EE. UU. vs Bélgica: Copa Mundial 2026 última 16

44 min Dest makes a good run, but his pass is behind Balogun. Somehow, Balogun manages to play it out off a Belgian defender, and it'll be a deep throw-in for Tillman. The referee stops everyone to break things up.

The throw-in goes all the way through to the 6-yard box, Freeman flicks it downward with a header, and Balogun is there to shoot … high. The referee initially awards a corner kick, but VAR begs to differ.

Six minutes of stoppage time.

43 min De Kuyper's free kick sails over a couple of US defenders to Lukebakio, whose header is wide.

41 min Courtois is again pressed to play the ball long, but this time, Belgium wind up with possession.

Richards, for some reason, drifts a good ways up the field and shoves Vanaken, giving Belgium a free kick.

40 min Over the top for Balogun, and he coaxes a throw-in out of the Belgian defense. Going more direct might not be a bad idea.

39 min Tielemans takes the corner, Raskin redirects it from an angle to the near post, but Freese is there.

38 min Dangerous cross, and Adams heads it clear for a Belgium corner.

37 min Giveaway from Tillman. USA pressing again, and Belgium are laboring to get out of their own half.

Before the goal, this from Christopher Faherty: “Ream with no Lukaku seems pointless. That outside CB stepping into midfield and helping with the rotation seems necessary today, and Ream can't do anything like that. Pochettino should consider a switch there already.â€

35 min Freeman is overlapping on the right, which I think is a mistake given the fact that Dest is already there.

Yellow to McKennie for a late tackle. Seems fair.

The US defense are having a nightmare. Trossard gets the ball wide on the left, gets to the goal line, crosses, and De Ketelaere beats Ream in the air for another tap-in.

That's the USA's first shot. The xG count is now 1.35 to 0.09.

A cruel stat-keeper would rule that an own goal by Vanaken. It shouldn't be scored that way because the initial shot was on frame.

The free kick is slammed into the wall but deflects to the right, and Courtois was already going the other way.

Will Tillman strike again?

30 min Balogun draws a free kick near the penalty arc. Terrible decision by Mechele.

29 min McKennie is hauled down by Raskin. Not many fouls in this game thus far.

28 min Freeman and Dest try a give-and-go deep on the right flank but can't pull it off.

27 min We're back, and Courtois completes a pass! Finally had a short-range outlet to relieve the pressure.

Daniel Halladay: “Rudi Garcia's blue shirt and sweaty ‘pits are reminiscent of Jose Antonio Camacho in 2002!â€

Final thoughts on the red card, etc., really …

Another dissenting view …

Burt Bosma: “Starmer contacts FIFA about the starting time in Mexico, Trump contacts FIFA about an unjust red card … big deal. After that it's up to FIFA to do the right thing. Actually, most neutrals would say justice was done – unlike the way FIFA bent over backwards to make sure Ronaldo played in Portugal's first two games.â€

And a clever final comment …

No name: “Has the Belgium manager already claimed a moral victory and therefore decided not to start his best team? Otherwise, it's a huge error not to start Doku and KDB.â€

23 min Dest tries to find a way past De Cuyper but can only foul.

Hydrate!

22 min A rare Richards mistake, but he recovers and shields.

Belgium now letting the USA possess the ball. Pulisic finally has the ball again.

21 min Quick Belgian counter, but Tyler Adams races back from midfield, gets his body in the way and absorbs contact to draw the foul. How good has he been in this World Cup?

20 min Slow backpass to Courtois from midfield, and Balogun is in full sprint after it. Courtois gets there first but again distributes poorly.

Replays shows Balogun shoved a Belgian player into another Belgian players.

Vanaken replaces Onana.

19 min Onana is the injured Belgian player, and it looks like he won't be able to continue. If only they had good players on their bench.

Final Balogun-gate comments

Tina Montenegro: “People now want to buy the pink and blue Belgian jersey to better root against the USA. I support them: that jersey is an homage to the painter Magritte and it has “Ceci n'est pas un maillot†on the back. Seems fitting for this world cup.â€

Derrick Kempf offers a dissenting view: ‘Here's hoping that Balogun pulls up his shirt after he scores to reveal a Balotelli-style message underneath. That, or he bags a hat trick. Either way it will be legendary.â€

Play is restarting, so I'll get back to this.

17 min Injured player for Belgium, and players aren't supposed to be getting water but they are getting water.

16 min I've scanned through the inbox and will put up a couple of final comments on Balogun at the hydration break, one of which overlaps with match tactics.

Which, I have to say, Belgium got spot-on.

xG so far: 1.36 to 0.00.

Belgium have outshot the USA 8-0.

14 min Half-chance for Belgium. Two, actually. Belgium again manage to get the ball to the top of the 6-yard box but can't direct it on net. USA can't clear. Belgium pass around, and a shot/cross goes straight to Freese.

13 min Richards is down near midfield after blocking a hard pass with his face. He's up. The dropped ball is successfully dropped, which immediately puts this referee ahead of some we've seen.

11 min Adams fouls De Ketelaere in transition. Will he get a card? No.

Pierluigi Collina is in a box next to Jill Ellis, just behind Gianni Infantino and US Soccer President Cindy Cone.

Belgium possess, switch field to Trossard, Freeman intervenes but can't clear, the ball pops around in the box, Raskin wins it and squares to De Ketelaere, who pokes it into the net.

8 min CHANCE FOR BELGIUM. Classic case of a low cross that easily would've wound up in the net if someone had been in the right spot.

7 min Once again, the Belgian defense plays it back to Courtois, who takes too long to distribute the ball and has to rush under pressure. Easily picked off by the USA.

7 min First time we've seen Pulisic get involved, but he can't find any space.

6 min Belgium go direct but overhit it, and Freese takes it at the top of the box.

5 min The USA press Courtois into a bad clearance, but they don't maintain possession for long.

4 min Richards with a second solid defensive play already, intervening on the left and winning a throw-in.

Dest tries to go 1-on-4 and loses it, but the USA reclaim and try a through ball for Balogun. Overhit, Courtois collects.

3 min International feed misses a US throw-in taken quickly in the Belgian half.

2 min Corner kick finds De Ketelaere, who heads it cleanly but isn't in position to get any power on it.

1 min Belgium press early and win a throw-in deep. It's headed away by who else – Chris Richards.

And then a SHOT ON GOAL – one shot blocked, rebound falls to Castagne, who hits it well and forces Freese into his most difficult save of the tournament.

Peep! USA in dark blue, Belgium in light blue with a psychedelic pattern.

The anthems are well-observed. I had wondered if any US fans would take umbrage with Belgium taking umbrage over the Balogun decision and voice dissent during the anthem, but that didn't happen. The US anthem was sung at full volume.