![\"Jeff](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Jeff_Rueter,_L.png\")
Jeff Rueter<\/p>\nKey events<\/p>\n
Jeff Rueter<\/p>\n
No real surprises in the US lineup, identical to the side that beat Paraguay and Bosnia and Herzegovina. I suppose some would have preferred to see Folarin Balogun left on the bench to make a statement with an ounce of sportsmanship, but this is an elimination game. <\/p>\n
As for Belgium, Rudi Garcia has made a massive call by leaving Kevin De Bruyne and Jeremy Doku on the bench to begin this match. One imagines his rationale is that Belgium is at its best with both men on the field, and they may be needed to endure extra-time and a possible shootout. <\/p>\n
Then again, this US side has flown out of the gates throughout the World Cup<\/a>. If Belgium is unable to slow their roll and dig themselves into an insurmountable hole, Garcia\u2019s lineup will rightly be scrutinized.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a018.55 EDT<\/p>\n Lineups<\/p>\n No surprises for the USA. Belgium<\/a> moves Kevin De Bruyne, among others, to the bench.<\/p>\n USA: Freese; Ream, Richards, Freeman; A. Robinson, Dest; Adams, McKennie, Tillman; Pulisic, Balogun<\/p>\n Belgium: Courtois; De Cuyper, Ngoy, Mechele, Castagne; Raskin, Onana; Trossard, Tielemans, Lukebakio; De Ketelaere<\/p>\n Changes for Belgium from the 3-2 win over Senegal:<\/p>\n At the back, Ngoy replaces Theate<\/p>\n Elsewhere: Raskin, Onana and Lukebakio are in; De Bruyne, Theate, Raskin and Doku are out<\/p>\n Cristian Roldan is unavailable due to injury.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n More about Belgium<\/p>\n Something the USA and Belgium have in common is that they participated in the very first World Cup<\/a> in 1930. The first game in each country\u2019s World Cup history was 3-0 win to the USA.<\/p>\n The Society for Soccer American History (disclaimer: of course I\u2019m a member \u2013 it\u2019s a great group) has posted a couple of videos about how Belgium made it to Uruguay while most European sides did not.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Interview on Belgium\u2019s 1930 World Cup trip.Share<\/a>Preamble II: The controversy (and a mailbag note)<\/p>\n The US team and this World Cup<\/a> as a whole have done a remarkable job winning over a skeptical country, if not a skeptical world.<\/p>\n Fifteen months ago, some Guardian writer noted that the US men\u2019s team was underachieving and unlikeable. They weren\u2019t lovable, scrappy underdogs out to gain respect for their team on the world stage and gain respect for their sport in the USA<\/a>. They were aloof representatives of a country going through a politically fraught period.<\/p>\n Then the games started. Talk of visa woes gave way to feel-good stories of foreign visitors feeling welcome. (Iran\u2019s national team may beg to differ.)<\/p>\n And the USA looked \u2026 good? They demolished Paraguay, a feat that looks all the more impressive after the South American side knocked out Germany and took France to the wire. They were clinical against Australia. Sure, they lost to Turkey, but they played an entertaining game with the B-side, having already clinched the group.<\/p>\n The win over Bosnia and Herzegovina was a team-defining moment. The knock on this team had long been that they had the talent but not the grit \u2013 hence the tendency of losing to Panama. This game showed they had both.<\/p>\n So bring on Belgium<\/a>, right? Sure, they\u2019ll be missing Balogun, but it\u2019s probably a 50-50 shot at their first quarterfinal appearance in 24 years.<\/p>\n Then \u2026<\/p>\n So now, this team that had strived to overcome its image issues (a couple of recent documentary series helped as well) is inexorably tied to a president who is disliked by roughly three-fifths of the USA and quite a few people worldwide.<\/p>\n And US fans can\u2019t really feel good about the way this happened. Sure, the red card was questionable \u2013 it\u2019s still being debated. It may depend on which you value more \u2013 the Laws of the Game or the laws of physics, which dictate that Balogun was stumbling and had to put his foot down somewhere, levitation having not yet been invented.<\/p>\n My social media feeds are full of people who have gone from wholeheartedly supporting this team to \u2026 not exactly rooting against them but certainly feeling a bit more lukewarm about the whole thing.<\/p>\n Which leads to an email request:<\/p>\n I expect I\u2019ll be flooded with email before and during the game. You can help me out by using specifics in your subject line.<\/p>\n Some examples:<\/p>\n \u201cUnhappy but still supportive\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cRooting for Belgium now\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe red card was wrong in the first place and Brazil 1962 blah blah\u201d \u2013 OK, don\u2019t use that one.<\/p>\n You get the idea.<\/p>\n Looking forward to hearing from everyone.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Preamble I: The game<\/p>\n In a more perfect world, we would be looking at a fascinating matchup between two teams that have been saddled with a \u201cGolden Generation\u201d tag.<\/p>\n Belgium\u2019s \u201cGolden Generation\u201d more or less lived up to expectations, reaching the 2014 World Cup<\/a> quarterfinals (defeating the USA in the Round of 16 \u2013 we\u2019ll get to that) and taking third place in 2018. The players \u2013 especially Romelu Lukaku, Kevin De Bruyne, Thibaut Courtois, Axel Witsel, Jan Vertonghen, Vincent Kompany and Eden Hazard – all had glittering club careers. Lukaku, De Bruyne, Witsel and Courtois are still in the squad.<\/p>\n The first inklings of \u201cGolden Generation\u201d in the USA<\/a> appeared when Christian Pulisic, already being hyped as a generational talent on par or better than Landon Donovan or Clint Dempsey, jumped into World Cup qualifying as a teenager. That team shockingly failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup. But Pulisic is the only young player from that qualifying cycle who is on the US roster today. The only other player still around, oddly enough, had already passed 30 when qualifying ended \u2013 defender Tim Ream.<\/p>\n More players soon emerged from Major League Soccer clubs\u2019 nascent youth programs, such as Weston McKennie and Chris Richards from FC Dallas, and Tyler Adams and Timothy Weah from the New York Red Bulls. (Later: Alex Freeman from Orlando City.) All of them followed Pulisic to Europe at a young age and have had moderately successful careers \u2013 not on the level of a De Bruyne or a Kompany but solid contributors on top European sides.<\/p>\n Others joined from the time-honored pipelines that have supplemented the US national team through the years – players born and developed in Europe but eligible for US citizenship. Sergi\u00f1o Dest from the Netherlands. Malik Tillman from Germany. Antonee Robinson from England. And most recently, Folarin Balogun from England. (See Preamble II in a few minutes.)<\/p>\n Both teams got here with gutsy performances in the Round of 32. Belgium<\/a> trailed Senegal 2-0 in the 85th minute. The USA dug deep to hang on to a 2-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina despite a red card to Balogun. (We\u2019ll get to it!)<\/p>\n And yes, it\u2019s a rematch of the 2014 round of 16 game in which the USA took Belgium to extra time thanks to Tim Howard\u2019s instantly memed 16 saves. It would be a stretch to say the USA played well enough to merit a victory in that game, but they did have a chance late in regulation that would have netted them an improbable quarterfinal berth.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Tim Howard saves the day. And many others.<\/p>\n That chance wasn\u2019t a \u201csitter.\u201d Get off Chris Wondolowski\u2019s back. The guy had a great career.<\/p>\n So it\u2019s the kind of matchup that makes the World Cup great. This game could end with Belgium claiming their third quarterfinal berth in four World Cups. Or it could be one of the biggest wins in US history.<\/p>\n Exciting, isn\u2019t it? Now … did something happen to upstage these compelling storylines?<\/p>\n Share<\/a> The last time the United States played in Seattle was their 2-0 win over Australia to clinch Group D in just two games. The scenes afterwards quickly became the stuff of US Soccer legend, with tens of thousands sticking around to belt out Take Me Home, Country Roads by John Denver.<\/p>\n John Denver was a fierce advocate for hunger relief, nature conservation, and global peace. For many, there\u2019s a sense of relief that the songs you know by heart were written by someone with such a worldview.<\/p>\n Utopian, yet quintessentially American. These concepts weren\u2019t always at odds. A World Cup<\/a> has the rare power to get people of diverse backgrounds to unite \u2013 \u201cOf all the unimportant things, football is the most important\u201d as the expression goes. In the hours before the US kicked off their games against Paraguay and Australia, it wasn\u2019t hard to spot handshakes and toasts of ludicrously overpriced lager between opposing fans.<\/p>\n Which is where the simplicity of Country Roads becomes quite clever, distilling that complex and cosmopolitan worldview to its briefest mission statement in unapologetic crescendo: Take me home to the place I belong. The same promise that pulled all of our immigrant ancestors stateside, that my colleagues from abroad are relieved to still recognize<\/a> as they go about their coverage, soundtracked and sung at the height of the chorus.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a018.10 EDT<\/p>\n Maybe US Soccer put Folarin Balogun up to speak too soon, fielding questions in the wake of his send-off and before his reinstatement. Nonetheless, it\u2019s worth revisiting his initial thoughts on what he called a \u201csurreal\u201d couple of days after the last-32 win\u2026<\/p>\n Folarin Balogun fielded questions on the morning of his 25th birthday, though the cards being discussed weren\u2019t filled with kind notes and two-dollar bills.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve been upset. I\u2019ve been happy,\u201d Balogun said of his past 36 hours. \u201cIt\u2019s been surreal, to be honest. But for me, I think it was just important to stay calm. I never want to react out of anger and out of emotion. There\u2019s still lots of people we\u2019re inspiring, little kids, boys and girls who are watching, and we have to show them the correct way to handle things, even when you think it\u2019s unjust.\u201d<\/p>\n Balogun said he still made a point of shaking referee Raphael Claus\u2019s hand after the match despite believing the decision was wrong, saying it was important to set the right example for supporters watching the tournament, many of whom may be experiencing the World Cup<\/a> for the first time.<\/p>\n \u201cEven though you can feel like something unjust has happened to you, it\u2019s not an excuse to be disrespectful,\u201d Balogun said. \u201cAfter every game, I try to shake the referee\u2019s hand, and this game was no different.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a018.10 EDT<\/p>\n Perhaps the only globally renowned figure who has been more conspicuous by his absence at this World Cup<\/a> tournament than Donald Trump is the Uefa president, Aleksander Ceferin, although both men have more than made up for their silence over the past 24 hours.<\/p>\n By endorsing a statement in which Uefa accused Fifa of crossing \u201ca red line\u201d<\/a> in making the \u201cincomprehensible and unjustifiable\u201d decision to lift the USA striker Folarin Balogun\u2019s suspension for the last-16 tie with Belgium on Monday, Ceferin has effectively put European football on a war footing with the world governing body, a dramatic move that could have major implications for the future of the sport.<\/p>\n Share<\/a> The whiff of unfulfilment lingers around Belgium<\/a>. The Golden Generation \u2013 and the fact it never quite achieved what it might have done \u2013 has dominated coverage of their last three tournaments.<\/p>\n This squad seems cursed to be judged against the standards of two World Cups ago, somehow blamed for not being as good as their predecessors and at the same time damned for those predecessors\u2019 failure to convert talent into silverware.<\/p>\n Share<\/a> Asking any of us to believe that Fifa is not influenced by Donald Trump is an absurdity. It is tantamount to asking us to believe he was awarded its \u201cpeace prize\u201d on merit alone. Infantino\u2019s relationship with Trump has long been a cozy one, a mutually beneficial symbiosis where Trump gets the type of sycophantic praise and attention he thrives on and Infantino gets the keys to the biggest commercial market in the world for Fifa\u2019s cash cow.<\/p>\n What Trump does not realize \u2013 or perhaps he simply doesn\u2019t care \u2013 is that he has done the whole of American soccer no favors by putting his thumb on the scales.<\/p>\n The USMNT have reached their current station in the tournament on their own merits, riding three exceptional performances and one bang average one to the last 16. Balogun has been arguably the their best player throughout that run.<\/p>\n Yet even without the Monaco striker, there was no shortage of pundits and oddsmakers pegging the US as likely to win against Belgium<\/a>. The perception the US have been handed an unfair advantage here \u2013 they have, to be clear \u2013 taints their potential advancement. This is true in the States, but much more so globally where Trump has become the latest in a long line of ugly Americans who are perceived, fairly or unfairly, to have expected preferential treatment.<\/p>\n Share<\/a> Mauricio Pochettino hailed Fifa\u2019s shock decision to suspend Folarin Balogun\u2019s one-game ban on Sunday, reiterating his claim that the call to issue the US striker a red card was harsh.<\/p>\n \u201cEveryone that really loves the sport and trusts ethics and integrity, I think we celebrate all that decision,\u201d Pochettino said. \u201cWe were punished enough against Bosnia Herzegovina to play with 10 men for 30 minutes [because of] a decision that was completely unfair. \u2026 99.9% of people agree there was an unfair red card.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a> As a Fifa media officer read aloud the statement confirming the governing body\u2019s shock reversal<\/a> of US striker Folarin Balogun\u2019s suspension on Sunday, Belgium coach Rudi Garcia and goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois put their poker faces to work. Garcia stared straight down the aisle of the press conference room at Seattle Stadium. Courtois\u2019s eyes fluttered about, perhaps masking some rolls as he faced a press pack eager to make sense of an unexpected World Cup twist.<\/p>\n Balogun\u2019s reinstatement came across as a joke to the Belgian boss, though he hardly seemed ready for a laugh.<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t know that 5 July was equal to 1 April [April Fools\u2019 Day] at Fifa,\u201d Garcia said in his native French. \u201cI think we should refer to the [statement] of my federation, the Belgian federation. I think a lot of things are in it. The federation does not defend itself, it does not defend the national team \u2013 it defends football in general. It defends its integrity. It defends its ethics.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a018.09 EDT<\/p>\n Through four games, Belgium<\/a> have retained 57% of possession with a 65% field tilt \u2013 a possession metric weighing only final-third touches \u2013 but haven\u2019t found a way to maximize that advantage.<\/p>\n While possession can be a noisy statistic, viewing it in stylistic terms can be informative. So far at this World Cup<\/a>, Belgium have won the possession battle in all four of their games, with Senegal playing them closest in a 52-48 split. The United States have maintained a 58% share of the ball in their four games, neck-and-neck with Garcia\u2019s Belgium. If Mauricio Pochettino\u2019s side can keep the ball off Belgian feet more often than not, it could unsettle the Red Devils.<\/p>\n Senegal nearly beat Belgium<\/a> by using width, quickly getting the ball to their wingers and creating overloads by having full-backs join the attack.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a018.09 EDT<\/p>\n A raucous, pro-US crowd is expected in Seattle for the Americans\u2019 last-16 match against Belgium<\/a> on Monday, but the Red Devils say that they don\u2019t fear the atmosphere that will await them.<\/p>\n \u201cI think we just have to \u2026 show balls on the pitch,\u201d left-back Maxim De Cuyper said on Friday. \u201cTry to play your own game. If you play against 80,000 supporters or with 80,000, you have to try to do the same.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a> To longtime US soccer fans, the question of whether to support this particular team at this particular time is barely a question. Or if it is one, it\u2019s vaguely along the lines of \u201cshould I breathe?\u201d<\/p>\n But there are plenty of newcomers along for the ride now, who may only watch the team at a World Cup<\/a>, if ever. Within this group, it stands to reason that plenty will be uncomfortable with the idea of supporting a US national sports team at all. I can hardly blame them.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re looking for a reason to support the US men\u2019s national team, I beg of you, look out your window. If there is a moment of triumph to be had when the team play Belgium<\/a>, there will probably be thousands upon thousands of people in your immediate vicinity experiencing the purest joy that one can feel; the kind only sports can deliver with regularity. They will be your neighbors and friends, your co-workers, the clerk at the grocery store, the kitchen staff at your favorite restaurant. They have been in your life before this US run. And they will be there after.<\/p>\n Share<\/a> While Malik Tillman was unsure what to expect from the United States\u2019 last-32 clash<\/a> with Bosnia and Herzegovina, he certainly must have assumed he would finish the game with his boots intact.<\/p>\n Fifteen minutes after swapping his ripped right boot, his new shoe made its mark. Playing down a man after Balogun\u2019s red card, the US won a free-kick just beyond the edge of the box. After consulting with Antonee Robinson, Tillman hit a pearl of a free-kick over the Bosnia and Herzegovina wall and into the net.<\/p>\n Tillman\u2019s technique on his free-kick goal against Bosnia was sublime. Tillman became just the second player in USMNT history to score from a direct free-kick at a World Cup<\/a>, joining Eric Wynalda\u2019s loop in 1994.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a018.09 EDT<\/p>\n Fifa has released a pair of statements in the wake of its change in handling Folarin Balogun\u2019s red-card punishment. The latest is a 13-point defense<\/a> of its operation, distancing itself from the influence of Donald Trump and adding a $40,000 fine to Balogun\u2019s bill. Capology estimates that Balogun earns $70,856 (\u20ac61,923) per week with AS Monaco.<\/p>\n \u201cUnder Article 27 of the [Fifa Disciplinary Code], the FIFA Disciplinary Committee has the discretion to suspend the implementation of any disciplinary measures so long as they do not relate to match manipulation\u2014which, of course, did not occur here. \u2026 Said suspension of the implementation was decided considering all of the specific circumstances surrounding the incident and evidence available.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a018.09 EDT<\/p>\n Ella Brockway<\/p>\n We could see another record viewership for this World Cup<\/a> version of Monday night football\u2026<\/p>\n The United States\u2019 last-32 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina had an average of 24.429 million viewers on Fox, making it the most-watched English-language soccer broadcast in US history. The Fox telecast peaked at 31.883 million. Telemundo, which holds the Spanish language rights to World Cup<\/a> broadcasts in the US, reported 9.1 million viewers over the total game window.<\/p>\n This year\u2019s NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs \u2013 which had their highest audience in nearly three decades \u2013 averaged an audience of 20.5 million, with Game 5 averaging 24.5 million and peaking at 33 million. The final game of last year\u2019s World Series averaged 27.3 million viewers in the US.<\/p>\n Share<\/a> As we prepare for our fifth US match, it has to be stressed: the red-and-white, \u201cwavy flag\u201d themed kits the USMNT have sported this summer are quite possibly the most popular shirts the US has ever worn. They are absolutely, positively everywhere, seen in far greater numbers than the other fan favorites of the past \u2014 the \u201cWaldos,\u201d the \u201cBomb Pops,\u201d etc …<\/p>\n Ironically, the second-most frequently spotted kits this summer are easily Adidas\u2019 old \u201cDenim Kits\u201d from 1994, which were always a curiosity to see in years past. Adidas re-released them ahead of this summer\u2019s tournament, and they\u2019ve sold thousands upon thousands of them. You love to see it.<\/p>\n Share<\/a> It must be said: it\u2019s an absolutely gorgeous day here in the Pacific Northwest. It\u2019s warm \u2013 but not too warm \u2013 and bright \u2013 but not too bright. There\u2019s a pleasant breeze coming in off the Puget Sound. The pre-match gatherings outside are lively and the concourses are already teeming with people hours before kickoff.<\/p>\n A perfect day for a game.<\/p>\n Share<\/a> From the moment the United States secured a place in the last-16, the prevailing narrative seemed to focus on a chance for redemption. Belgium<\/a> prevailed when these teams met at an identical stage of 2014, with Romelu Lukaku running rampant through J\u00fcrgen Klinsmann\u2019s team as Tim Howard put in a performance for the ages to try keeping his team in the match.<\/p>\n Sunday threw everyone a shock as reports emerged that Fifa had elected to suspend Folarin Balogun\u2019s one-match ban that customarily accompanies a red-card ejection. As the day progressed, the tone of the discourse shifted from one of justice being served \u2013 it really was more of a yellow-card offense, most admitted from the moment of contact \u2013 to growing unease about the manner of the about-face. Not only was this a break from generations-long custom, but it was done in a way that reeked of entitlement. No matter how strongly Donald Trump was able to twist Gianni Infantino\u2019s arm, the crack team of lawyers assembled by US Soccer took an unprecedented step to pore through Fifa\u2019s rulebook for loopholes. Not very sporting, is it.<\/p>\n In truth, Mauricio Pochettino \u2013 who stressed he had no knowledge of US Soccer\u2019s machinations in his Sunday press availability \u2013 could have gotten his team up for a result against this Belgium side without the legal defense. The United States have been one of the most in-form sides at this World Cup<\/a>, enthralling in attack and unexpectedly sound with their defensive structure. Belgium arrives in a weakened state than it was in 2014, lacking a clear attacking focal point and failing to turn considerable possession into dangerous chances.<\/p>\n Whether Balogun starts or not will undoubtedly be the main narrative once the lineups drop in an hour or so. Until then, let\u2019s catch up on all of our coverage from the last few days \u2013 both about the relitigated red card and on-field matters.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Beau will be here shortly. In the meantime, here\u2019s a look at this matchup from Graham Ruthven\u2019s daily guide:<\/p>\n What to watch for<\/p>\n The USA are playing like a Pochettino team. Their attacking verve and energy have made the co-hosts one of the most exciting sides to watch at this World Cup<\/a>, although defeat to Belgium would prompt a sense of deja vu after last-16 exits in 2010, 2014 and 2022.<\/p>\n Belgium got the better of the USA at the same stage of the 2014 World Cup, but the country\u2019s so-called golden generation has faded (or altogether disappeared) since then. Rudi Garcia\u2019s side have toiled throughout this summer\u2019s tournament and can\u2019t be relied upon to create goalscoring opportunities. This is a big chance for the USA.<\/p>\n Player to watch: Folarin Balogun, USA<\/a> \u2013 After his one-game red-card ban was suspended by Fifa, Balogun will once again be the USA\u2019s biggest threat in the attacking third. The Monaco striker is enjoying a breakout tournament.<\/p>\nJeff Rueter<\/p>\nJeff Rueter<\/p>\n![\"Matt](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1783380011_461_Matt_Hughes.png\")
Matt Hughes<\/p>\n![\"Jonathan](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Jonathan_Wilson,_L.png\")
Jonathan Wilson<\/p>\n![\"Pablo](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1783380012_663_Pablo_Mauerer.png\")
Pablo Iglesias Maurer<\/p>\n![\"Alexander](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Alexander_Abnos.png\")
Alexander Abnos<\/p>\nJeff Rueter<\/p>\nJeff Rueter<\/p>\nAlexander Abnos<\/p>\nAlexander Abnos<\/p>\nJeff Rueter<\/p>\nJeff Rueter<\/p>\nPablo Iglesias Maurer<\/p>\nAlexander Abnos<\/p>\nJeff RueterPrelude<\/p>\n