Belgium 4-1 USA Belgium ended the United States' World Cup adventure in emphatic fashion on Monday, cruising to a 4-1 victory in Seattle to book a mouth-watering quarter-final clash with Spain. Charles De Ketelaere was the star of the show, scoring twice as the Red Devils punished a disjointed American side whose hopes of reaching a first World Cup quarter-final since 2002 evaporated before a stunned home crowd. Hans Vanaken and Romelu Lukaku also found the net for Belgium, while Malik Tillman briefly restored hope for the hosts with a first-half equaliser. The build-up to the match had been dominated by controversy after FIFA overturned Folarin Balogun's one-match suspension following his red card against Bosnia and Herzegovina, a decision that sparked fierce debate across the football world. The striker returned to the starting line-up and received a thunderous ovation from the 67,000 fans inside Lumen Field, where chants of U-S-A echoed around the stadium before kick-off. The atmosphere, however, was quickly silenced. Belgium struck in the ninth minute when Nicolas Raskin's inviting cross evaded the American defence, allowing De Ketelaere to ghost in at the far post and tap home from close range. It was the first time the United States had conceded the opening goal during the tournament, and Mauricio Pochettino's side struggled to recover. Belgium controlled midfield, limiting the influence of Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie while looking dangerous every time they broke forward. The hosts eventually found a lifeline after half an hour. Balogun won a free-kick just outside the penalty area and Tillman stepped up to curl an effort that took a decisive deflection off the Belgian wall before nestling in the back of the net, sending the home supporters into celebration. Their joy lasted only moments. Just three minutes later, Leandro Trossard delivered an excellent cross into the penalty area and De Ketelaere rose above Tim Ream to power home his second goal of the evening, restoring Belgium's advantage before half-time. Pochettino reshuffled his side after the break, pushing Gio Reyna into a more advanced role as the Americans searched for an equaliser. Instead, they gifted Belgium a third goal. Goalkeeper Matt Freese raced from his line to collect a long ball but hesitated while attempting to play out from the back. De Ketelaere pounced, poking possession to Hans Vanaken, who calmly rolled the ball into an unguarded net from distance. The mistake effectively ended the contest. The situation worsened for the hosts when Pulisic limped off injured midway through the second half, depriving the Americans of their most influential attacking player. Balogun and substitute Sebastian Berhalter both threatened to reduce the deficit, but Belgium remained comfortable and controlled proceedings with maturity. Lukaku then put the result beyond doubt in stoppage time after Chris Richards surrendered possession deep inside his own half. The veteran striker raced clear before firing confidently past Freese to complete an emphatic victory. Belgium's blend of clinical finishing, tactical discipline and experience proved too much for a youthful American side that never managed to reproduce the intensity of its previous performances. For the United States, the defeat marks a disappointing end to a promising campaign on home soil, following the earlier eliminations of fellow co-hosts Canada and Mexico. Belgium, meanwhile, march confidently into the quarter-finals, where a heavyweight showdown with unbeaten Spain awaits in what promises to be one of the ties of the tournament.
