Belgium end USA’s World Cup dream with dominant win

Belgium secured a commanding 4-1 victory over the United States in their world cup last-16 match in Seattle, ending the host nation's tournament run. Charles De Ketelaere led the charge with two goals, while Hans Vanaken and Romelu Lukaku also contributed to a dominant performance that sends the Europeans into a quarter-final clash against Spain in Los Angeles this Friday.

The match began with intense pressure from the visitors, leading to an early breakthrough in the 9th minute when De Ketelaere tapped in a cross from Nicolas Raskin. Although the United States responded in the 31st minute through a deflected Malik Tillman free-kick, parity lasted only two minutes. De Ketelaere restored Belgium's lead shortly after by heading home a delivery from Leandro Trossard.

A defensive error by United States goalkeeper Matt Freese gifted Belgium their third goal in the 57th minute. After De Ketelaere pressured the keeper, Vanaken capitalised on the situation to find the bottom corner from outside the penalty area. Substitute Lukaku rounded off the scoring in the 93rd minute, netting a low shot to set a new tournament record as the first substitute to score three goals in a single world cup.

The buildup to the fixture faced significant controversy regarding the eligibility of United States striker Folarin Balogun. Following a direct red card in the previous round, Fifa suspended his automatic one-match ban for 12 months after a request from President Donald Trump. Despite being cleared to play, Balogun struggled to find space against the Belgian defence and managed only one significant chance, which was saved by Thibaut Courtois.

With this result, the United States exits the competition at the last-16 stage for the fourth time in the past 5 tournaments. For Belgium, the victory marks another successful campaign as they continue their pursuit of the title, reaching the quarter-finals for the third time in 4 appearances. Coach Rudi Garcia’s decision to prioritise youth over experience proved effective, as his squad dismantled the hosts in front of 66,925 spectators.

-BBC