USMNT 'IICKED WORST TIME TO PLAY WORST GAME;

It was back to reality Monday night for the United States men’s 

national soccer team, ousted unceremoniously from the FIFA 

2026 World Cup by Belgium 4-1 in the knockout round of 16.

To think the Americans could somehow win this showcase 

event was proved to be nonsense by a team that, despite never 

having lost to them in seven previous meetings (including 5-2 

earlier this year), was given little chance by futbol’s 

intelligensia..

First, they didn’t think Belgium, always among the game’s 

elites, had been playing like it. Add to that the growing 

euphoria over new coachMAURICIO POCHETTINO’s

 seemingly rejuvenated side, as misplaced as it might have 

seemed, left USMNT in an unfamiliar role as favorite, the 

people’s choice to advance to Saturday’s quarterfinals against 

European champion Spain.

Boy, were they wrong. Other than MALIK TILLMAN’s

 second free-kick goal in as many games, the Americans did 

virtually nothing on offense. Defensively, they were likewise 

inept … starting with rookie goalkeeper MARK FREESE

 whose lack of experience turned out to be costly. 

Whatever chance the USA had of overcoming a 2-1 deficit at 

halftime was dashed when Freeze made a poor decision to 

come more than 30 yards from his crease to challenge a long 

ball meant for forward CHARLES De KETEIAERE… who 

already had scored twice from close range, thanks to def

ensive breakdowns as well.

When Freese failed, veteran Belgium defenseman HANS 

VANAKEN, 33, succeeded, gathering the ball from the 

stumbling, bungling goalie and quickly depositing it into the 

empty, vacated -- OK, abandoned -- goal about 40 yards away. 

More than 38 minutes plus stoppage remained … but this one 

was over, done, finished for all practical reasons.

“Just an absolute disaster for the United States,” said\ USMNT 

alum turned Fox commentator STU HOLDEN, without fear of 

contradiction. He was talking about the goalie’s blunder but, in 

retrospect, that could have covered the entire game, too.

Not that Freese, Harvard alumnus and Major League Soccer 

regular with New York, was the only culprit. Check the 

USMNT roster, and most – if not all – who played were 

likewise responsible.

Also MIA was striker FOLARIN BALOGUN, the subject of 

considerable controversy after being given a red card last time 

out, a 2-0 win over Bosnia and Zeregovina. Normally, that 

would have meant the team tournament leader in goals (3) 

would not be permitted to face Belgium.

But the U.S., protested the call and, as a result, FIFA’s, 

disciplinary committee changed Balogun’s one-game 

suspension to a year-long probation which allowed Balogun to 

play, after all ... and left everyone wondering where that came 

from.

Belgium coach RUDI GARCIA responded with

The Quote of the Tournament.

“I didn’t know they celebrated April Fools’ Day on July 6,” 

Garcia said.

He might as well have said, “What, me worry?” … after 

bettering better-known Pochettino with desive strategy that 

allowed the Americans a not-so-grand total of two shots on 

goal … none by team poster boy CHRISTIAN PULISIC.

“Biggest game of his life,” Holden said. “He’s the big star of 

this team … but, if he had a signature game, this was that 

moment, his opportunity ...and it looks like the injury issues 

that have dogged his career ...”

The object of considerable attention by Garcia’s defense, 

resulting in a team-low 10 touches in the first half, Pulisic 

limped off the field while Belgium was celebrating its third 

goal-- and didn’t return.

With fewer than 10 minutes remaining in regulation, Balogun 

forced veteran goalie THIBAUT COURTOIS, 34, to make his 

only save after Belgium’s BRANDON MICHELE failed to 

get a touch on  GIO REYNA’s long, over-the-top pass. The 

mistake by the 33-year-old defender left Balogun one-on-one 

with Courtois … who easily blocked the ensuing shot.

Tillman, whose free kick from about 30 yards clinched the 

American’s victory five days earlier, did it again from about the 

same distance – some 10 yards outside the box, aiming for the 

upper right corner of the goal. The only difference was, this 

time the shot glanced off the head of a Belgium defender and 

changed direction on Courtois, who guessed right but, 

nevertheless, over-ran the ball and couldn’t recover in time.

Until then, with 30:19 gone, this 2d meeting of the 

teams this year had been pretty much like the first … a 5-2 

romp by Belgium in a friendly March 28. The world’s -rated 

team already had peppered Freese with seven shots, taking an 

early lead … after three USA players simply stood and watched 

an attempted clearing header by Freeman land among them.

“Against a team like this … you can’t make mistakes [or] you’ll 

get punished, it’s that simple,” said Holden who, coming in, 

said this wasn’t your typical Belgium powerhouse and agreed 

with most observers the Americans should be favored.

“The ball pops up in the air … and everybody’s looking at it, 

thinking someone else is going to play the ball. ‘Is it me? Is it 

you?’”

Cut to a shot of Pochettino. “He’s asking, ‘What are we 

doing?’” Holden added. 

The answer, before a disappointed sellout crowd of 

was, well, not enough to prevent another Cup exodus prior to 

the quarterfinals. It has been 24 years since a USMNT qualified 

for its only trip to the round of eight although this one, with 

Pochettino being paid reportedly in excess of $8 million in 

charge for the first time, performed well enough to generate 

some wishful thinking.

Having home-field advantage, not to mention adoring fans and 

news media, certainly helped. Winning its group, losing 

to Turkey on a last-play goal in a meaningless game was 

followed by the knockout victory over Bosnia and 

Herzegovina.|

De K wound up scoring his first of two goals, from right on, 

into an open net after taking a perfect pass through the box --

and by Freese – from Castagne who grabbed Freeman’s header 

then eluded a pair of defenders for the assist.

If you believe in omens … it marked the first time the 

Americans hadn’t scored first since the tournament, held every 

four years to determine THE international champion, got under 

way June 11.

Things got better – if briefly – for the U.S., about 30

minutes later when Tillman, an imposing 6-6 defenseman, 

knotted the count at one on a set piece made possible by a 

questionable call.

In what appeared to be incidental contact, the referee from 

Jordan ruled in favor of Balogun who fell after taking what was 

designed as a give-and-go pass from Pulisic.

“My goodness … Malik Tillman!” Strong said, quickly raising 

his usually-measured delivery to an out-and-out shout befitting

 homerseverywhere. “… LIGHTNING STRIKES TWICE. WE 

THOUGHT IT WAS WAS ONCE IN A LIFETIME … TURNS 

OUT IT WAS TWICE … AND THE U.S. IS RIGHT BACK IN 

THIS GAME …”

Yeah, but not for long. The tie lasted just about long enough for 

Strong to get his breath back and get himself under control.

On its next trip down the field, Belgium regained the lead on 

another stretch pass across the goalmouth (left to right again) 

from Castagne to who out-jumped 3 amd 13 for his second 

goal.

“It’s one of the cliches in this game … that you are most 

vulnerable after you score a goal, and this is why,” said Holden 

while we saw Pochettino react by kicking a container of water 

bottles.

“That ball was in play for 61 seconds after Belgium kicked off,” 

said Strong. “My goodness!”

My goodness, indeed. By halftime, it was still 2-1 … but 

Belgium had long since established dominance. It already had 

been a long, frustrating match for the -ranked USMNT, which 

was outplayed at both ends of the field.

“This U.S. team got punched in the nose,” said Alexi Lalas, 

former USMNT fullback turned Fox expert ... “and it could 

have been a lot worse. No one had a good first half. They can’t 

defend the cross. They can’t dne. They couldn’t defend in the 

air. They can’t defend the long ball to the other side.”

For the first time since the tournament began, there was no 

kidding around on the Fox set. No wise cracks, nothing of the 

sort. EvenZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIC, who established 

himself as a witty, fun guy, was deadly serious.

“This is the first 45 minutes where I don’t see them 

comfortable,” the 12-time Swedish player of the year said

Leave it to Lalas to say what just about everyone was thinking: 

“Mauricio Pochettino … needs to earn his money this half 

[upcoming] … and he better make some changes, either in 

personnel or tact.”

“The good news is … this is a one-goal game … and we WILL 

play better in the second half,” Pochettino said, according to 

Fox reporter Jenny CRAFT.

He made one lineup change, inserting GEO REYNA in the 

midfield for SERGIO DEST. Tactically, he tried to get his 

fullbacks, like Tillman, more involved in the attack … among 

other things. 

Fittingly, the final goal, coming little more than a minute from 

the end, was the result of y.et another mistake. This time 

veteran LUKAKUsimply took the ball away deep in USMNT 

territory, turned and scored to increase his club record for 

tournament goals to 27 (83 games).

“The U.S..picked the worst time to play its worst game,” Lalas 

said.