July 1, 2014. The USA had just escaped the ‘Group of Death,’ knocking out Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal in the process. They were tasked with defeating a Belgium team who won all three of their group games and had a brand new golden generation bursting onto the world stage. Contrast that to an aging USMNT, the final chance for legends such as Tim Howard (35) and Clint Dempsey (31) to make their mark at a World Cup.
The game went about as well as the USA could have hoped. Despite being outclassed by the Belgians, the Americans managed to keep it at 0-0 all the way through 90 minutes. Tim Howard had the game of his life, stopping shot after shot to somehow keep Belgium out.
The Miss Heard ‘Round the World
Then came the chance in second half stoppage time. Jermaine Jones got his head to the ball in the box, nodding it onto Chris Wondolowski just a few feet from goal. The net was wide open. Tap it in and the USA are heading to the quarterfinals. But Wondolowski got it all wrong. He completely mishit his finish, sending it over the bar and ensuring the game would go to extra time.
That’s when the breakthrough finally came for Belgium. Kevin De Bruyne opened the scoring in the 93rd minute, then Romelu Lukaku doubled the lead in the 105th. Julian Green pulled one back for the Stars and Stripes but it wasn’t enough. Despite Tim Howard’s single game World Cup record of 16 saves, the USA were knocked out.
Now fast forward to 2026. It’s a full circle moment as that Belgium golden generation are the ones on their last legs and the USA has an exciting young team looking to make history for their country. Can the Americans get revenge for 2014 or will their World Cup end the same way it did in Brazil 12 years ago? Let’s preview this matchup.
Match Details
Who: USA vs. Belgium
What: World Cup Round of 16
Where: Seattle Stadium (Lumen Field), Seattle, Washington
When: Monday July 6, 8:00 PM ET / 5:00 PM PT
Watch: FOX, Telemundo, Peacock ES, Fubo Sports
Balogun Back After Controversial Red Card Suspended
The big story coming into this game was that the USA would be missing star striker Folarin Balogun. After opening the scoring against Bosnia & Herzegovina in the Round of 32, Balogun was shown a straight red card after landing on Tarik Muharemović’s ankle with his studs in a duel. It was an extremely controversial decision and left the USMNT down a man for the remaining half hour.
The Brooklyn born marksman is the USA’s leading scorer this World Cup with three goals and also forced an own goal against Australia. Playing without him would eliminate a lot of the attacking threat the Americans have to offer.
How it Happened
Luckily for Mauricio Pochettino, he doesn’t have to choose a replacement. FIFA officially suspended Balogun’s red card suspension, meaning that he is effectively on probation and is eligible to play against Belgium. This is despite US Soccer not being allowed to appeal the decision. What is even more incredible is that the White House made a direct call to FIFA to ask them to review the red card. The main justification for this reversal by FIFA is that they violated VAR protocols by recommending a check that resulted in Balogun being sent off.
As bizarre of a situation as it is, FIFA is well within their right to make this decision. In fact, they did the same exact thing for Portugal legend Cristiano Ronaldo right before the World Cup started. Per Article 27 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, they are allowed to suspend the implementation of a disciplinary measure. Ronaldo’s suspension for a red card he received in a qualifier against Ireland was pushed back so he could play in the World Cup, now the same has been done for Balogun. There will no doubt be uproar, but Balogun and the USA will not care. Justice has been served.
USA Look To Keep Rolling
The Round of 32 match against Bosnia was relatively smooth sailing for the Stars and Stripes. After a difficult first half where they struggled to break down Bosnia’s low block, the breakthrough came just before halftime when Malik Tillman’s through ball found Folarin Balogun, in part thanks to a deflection off a Bosnian defender. Balogun made no mistake with the finish, scoring his third goal of the World Cup. Even after the red card, Bosnia still didn’t provide too much of a threat towards Matt Freese in goal outside of a few long shots. Tillman even scored a beautiful free kick to seal the win in the 82nd minute.
Now, Pochettino will hope to build on that defensive solidity against a much stronger Belgium attack. Coming into the World Cup, the back line was seen as the main weak point for the USA. They only managed to keep one clean sheet in their latest 14 matches prior to the tournament. Regardless, shutout victories against Australia and Bosnia have this team confident. It’ll be a tougher test considering this Belgium team put five goals past the US back in March, but the USMNT players are up for it.
Safe Haven in Seattle
The USA have enjoyed the benefits of being a host nation in every game, but in Seattle it gets taken up to a whole new level. In Los Angeles and the Bay Area, the USMNT fans created a great atmosphere for their country. In Seattle, the fans registered seismic activity when the USA scored. Seattle’s ‘12th man’ that is usually reserved for Seahawks games is in full force this summer and will bolster the confidence of Pochettino’s side. It’s been easy to tell how much the support means to the players and staff. Weston McKennie and Sebastian Berhalter conducted the crowd as they sang ‘Take Me Home, Country Roads’ after the Bosnia game. Pochettino started a USA chant following the win over Australia. The whole squad will be looking forward to deafening noise as they take the pitch against Belgium.
Belgium Beat Senegal With Incredible Comeback
For all the hype that Belgium’s golden generation has received, they’ve underwhelmed in big tournaments. Outside of the third place finish in the 2018 World Cup, an early exit always seems to be on the cards. At the 2022 World Cup they even got grouped. It was looking like their final chance would be stopped short once again as they found themselves down 2-0 to Senegal with only five minutes left to play.
However, all-time leading scorer Lukaku still had some magic left. He pulled one back in the 86th minute before captain Youri Tielemans equalized in the 89th. They completed the comeback in the 125th minute as Tielemans drew a penalty and converted it himself with a perfect spot kick into the top right corner. It was reminiscent of Belgium’s Round of 16 match against Japan in 2018, in which they also came back from down 2-0 to win 3-2.
Now attention turns to co-hosts USA for Rudi Garcia’s side. Their two goalscorers from the 2014 victory over the Americans still play pivotal roles, as does goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. De Bruyne has been the creative spark in midfield and Lukaku has worked wonders as a supersub off the bench, scoring twice and forcing an own goal against Egypt. The latter’s physical presence will be an obstacle for 38 year old USA captain Tim Ream.
Match Prediction
With Balogun back in the mix and expected to start, the USA will like their chances. Belgium quite frankly have not looked good this summer and are lucky to even be here after being given a very manageable group and coming back against Senegal. However, they still pose a threat and the likes of Jérémy Doku on the wing will cause problems for the Americans. Give me the USMNT to get revenge for the 2014 game, by the exact same scoreline.
Prediction: USA 2-1 Belgium
