​What went wrong for the USMNT? Americans came out flat in the Round of 16 defeat to Belgium. The match, originally featured on The Sporting News, saw Belgium crush the USMNT 4-1 and end their World Cup run one game sooner than hoped. Mauricio Pochettino’s squad had been in good form through the group stage, while Belgium, after a winging through pool play, rallied to beat Senegal in extra time after being outplayed for much of regulation. The stage seemed set for a standout USMNT performance, especially with star striker Folarin Balogun’s one-game ban lifted following intervention, but the night fell short of expectations and left the Americans lamenting what might have been. Belgium, even without their top stars, shut down the United States just one game shy of what would have been its best World Cup showing in 92 years. Here’s what happened.
Heading into the match, the USMNT was known for its goal-scoring ability. Pochettino’s team was among 11 squads with at least 10 goals in the first four games, even outscoring celebrated offenses from Spain and Portugal. Yet there was concern that the U.S. attack could cool, with Fox Sports estimating an expected goals (xG) of 4.9 before kickoff—roughly on par with Ecuador, Ivory Coast, Algeria, and Iran after three games. Still, the U.S. appeared capable of generating clear chances against a Belgium side that allowed an xG of 3.58 in the Round of 32 win over Senegal. Instead, the Americans looked listless in the final third. Balogun’s return to the lineup should have boosted the attack, but he managed only 19 touches and one shot on target. Overall, the U.S. registered just seven shots, finishing with an xG of 0.67, 0.53 of which came from set pieces. In short, Pochettino’s side lacked sustained open-play threat to exploit Belgium’s defense and maximize Balogun’s pace.
Rudi Garcia’s call to start Kevin De Bruyne and Jeremy Doku on the bench prior to kickoff was unconventional; in practice, it proved to be a masterstroke. The U.S. had previously enjoyed strength in its midfield—Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie, and Malik Tillman provided bite and movement—but the plan didn’t come together.