Belgium’s National Team entered the match against the USA as underdogs, but their clash with one of the World Cup’s co-hosts turned out to be their finest performance of the tournament thus far. Under the guidance of Rudi Garcia, the Belgians delivered a stellar match, claiming a resounding (4:1) victory.
The action began early at the Seattle stadium, with the first goal coming in the 9th minute. Charles De Ketelaere found the back of the net. A misfired attempt by Raskin deflected off a defender, perfectly setting up the Atalanta striker to slot the ball into an open goal.
The USA pushed hard to equalise, and they succeeded just over twenty minutes later. Malik Tillman scored in the 31st minute with a brilliant free-kick to make it (1:1). The Bayer Leverkusen midfielder’s strike brought the match level, but the Americans’ celebrations were short-lived. Just two minutes later, De Ketelaere struck again, restoring Belgium’s lead.
By the 57th minute, the Belgians extended their lead to two goals. Hans Vanaken capitalised on a disastrous error by the American goalkeeper, coolly firing the ball into an unguarded net after a shocking mistake.
In stoppage time, Romelu Lukaku extended the lead, securing Belgium’s victory over the United States (4:1). This win guaranteed their progression to the quarterfinals, where they will face Spain. In the semifinals, the winner will encounter the victor of the France vs. Morocco match.