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WC MOTD: Belgium 2-1 USA

By on July 1, 2014

Thirty-five days ago, the US Men’s National Team began the final leg of their journey to World Cup 2014 on a low note. Facing Azerbaijan in a match they were expected to win easily, the US only won via two late goals. It was their first match after coach Jurgen Klinsmann had made the controversial decision of cutting all-time US top scorer Landon, but seemingly not their last in which they would miss their former main man.

Tonight, the US have been eliminated from the World Cup, as was previously expected. Yet they have actually beaten all expectations. Klinsmann’s side beat Ghana, drew Portugal, and only narrowly lost to favorites Germany. They made it out of the “Group of Death”, against all odds. And tonight, they took Belgium into extra-time. A Belgian side containing the likes of Eden Hazard, Vincent Kompany, and Thiabaut Courtios was contained for more than ninety-five minutes by the US – and even when the US went two down with just twelve minutes left they nearly fought back to take the match into penalties. They were only a few missed chances away from a spot in the Quarterfinals of a World Cup which, just a thirty-five days earlier, they seemed bound so suffer in. The US have been knocked out the World Cup, and while disappointing it is for the nation, it cannot ondo what they did. The US should be proud of their performance in Brazil, at the very least.

Their entire squad proved up for the task. Their front line bagged five goals in four matches, playing against Ghana, Portugal, Germany, and Belgium. The US midfield proved both a decisive force up front as well as in front of their back-line. Their back-line allowed just six goals, and while that may not be an accomplishment in itself you have to consider the fact that the US were put under immense pressure during long periods of their matches. And goalkeeper Tim Howard was the baseline for everything that they have done. He directed the US’ defense tonight – as well as making history with sixteen saves in one match, a number that has not been achieved in a World Cup in over fifty years. He of all people hardly deserved the be on the losing side tonight. But this is the World Cup. Thirty-one nations all go home with a sickening feeling at the pit of their stomachs and the US did themselves wonderfully to go home tied for ninth out of thirty-two teams.

It was always going to be tough for the US. Not even a minute into the Second Round tie Divock Origi nearly gave Belgium an early lead, and Howard made the first of his sixteen brilliant saves. The winger was put in down the right side of the box by Kevin De Bruyne, and forced Howard into a kick-save to block his low effort from a tight angle. It was a shaky start from the US and Belgium continued to pressure for an early goal for the next few minutes, but the US dug themselves out of the whole. And twenty-one minutes in, they were so close to finding the back of the net themselves as Michael Bradley forced his way through into the Belgium box and Clint Dempsey curled the ball into the arms of Thibaut Courtois after Bradley had the ball poked out from under him.

It was tough for the US, undoubtedly, yet their job was made even a bigger task when Fabian Johnson was forced off with a hamstring injury just thirty-two minutes in. DeAndre Yedlin came on with no warm-up, and while he did a magnificent job of containing Eden Hazard down the right Belgium could smell the US losing some confidence. Belgium began to put the US under the cosh, and Howard produced another stop to save De Bruyne’s knee-high curler from twenty-five yards out down low to his left. The pressure from The Reds continued into the second half; if anything it only increased after the break. Howard acrobatically tipped a Dries Mertens header over the crossbar forty-seven minutes in, before Origi rose up at the near post to head Toby Alderweirelder’s cross from the right onto the crossbar. Just moments later Jan Vertonghen ventured forward from left-back – from the start Belgium looked dangerous when the Tottenham Hotspur man did so – and saw his low effort from a right angle to the left of goal stopped by the legs of Howard. The goalkeeper was already keeping the US in the match.

Yet the Everton ‘keeper did have to have some luck on his side to keep Belgium out, and could only watch as Merten’s clever back-heel flick via Origi’s cut-back from the left flew inches wide of the frame. In the seventy-sixth minute he again seemed to have been left in a situation impossible to get the US out of, as Origi tucked a neat through ball behind the US defense to out Kevin Mirallas, who had come on for Mertens fifteen minutes prior. But Timmy once again produced a vital save, keeping his trailing leg out to turn wide Mirallas’ low shot. Three minutes later Hazard saw his curling first-time shot palmed wide by Howard, before Origi saw his twenty-five yard screamer turned over via the palm of the thirty-five-year-old goalkeeper. Howard had definitely imposed himself as the clear Man of the Match.

However, it wasn’t as if the US were devoid of their own chances. Dempsey had sent a curler into the arms of Courtois seventy-three minutes in, and right at the death substitute Chris Wondolowski was given a glorious chance to win it for the US. It would have been incredible – a ninety-third minute winner – but Wondo somehow managed to badly scuff his point-blank range over the crossbar when it looked easier to score than miss after Jermaine Jones had brought the ball down into his path.

And it would be the ninety-third minute that killed the US again. Back in 2010 Ghana scored a ninety-third minute winner to knock out the US, Wondo missed his chance in the third minute of stoppage time, and three minutes into extra-time Belgium took the lead. Belgian sub Romelu Lukaku barreled right through Matt Besler down the right, and after romping forty-yards into the box cut the ball back to De Bruyne. Omar Gonzalez seemed to have cut out the chance, poking the ball away, yet De Bruyne regained control of the ball, took it back out to the right of his markers and tucked a low finish into the far corner of the net. For once, Howard could not make the stop.

But it was far from over – the US began to push forward with everything they had for an equalizer. In their search for one, though, they found themselves vulnerable on the counter-attack. Howard was forced to parry Lukaku’s low effort from fifteen yards out wide of the post ninety-seven minutes in, but the US could not keep Belgium out on the break, and right on the brink of the end of the first half of extra-time, Lukaku buried Belgium’s second. De Bruyne slipped him through down the left side of the box on the break, and the Everton forward powered a neat first-time finish from his diagonal run into the roof of the net.

The US looked to be finished, out of the World Cup. But this is where the US made their country proud. They did not give in, but fought back with their “never say die” attitude. Just two minutes into the second half of extra-time, Bradley clipped a brilliant ball over the Belgium defense to the run of Julian Green, who, with his first touch since coming on as a substitute, beautifully side-volleyed the ball into the top right corner of the net. Even the six-foot-five figure Courtois could not stop it from nestling into the back of the net. And the US pushed forward for a second. Jones then curled a volley just wide of the frame, and one-hundred-and-thirteen minutes in they came sickeningly close. In a brilliant free-kick routine Bradley passed a thirty-five yard free-kick into the feet of Wondo, who played a one-touch pass to Dempsey. Dempsey was through on goal and for all the world looked like he would give the US a second against the odds, but Courtois came off his line and smothered Dempsey’s poked shot. The clock was ticking down – the US was throwing everything they had forward – but it just didn’t fall for them. Wondo scuffed a low cross from the left, but Belgium held on. But the US should not be disappointed with their performance, tonight or in the tournament as a whole – they went down bravely fighting on their terms.
Man of the Match: Tim Howard

Main Thoughts:
Belgium had a massive height advantage over the US, but that was not at all the area in which they dominated in. The US did a great job defending set pieces and crosses – it looks as if Klinsmann has found a steady center-back pairing in Besler and Gonzalez.

Meanwhile, Howard has once again proven he has still got it at the age of thirty-five, and will undoubtedly still be in contention for the starting spot in between the posts he currently occupies at the 2018 World Cup squad in Russia.

However, the US did seem to miss Kyle Beckerman alongside Jermaine Jones in the midfield – occasionally holes opened up where a Beckerman usually is that allowed Belgium chances.

Belgium, on the other hand hardly looked convincing at the back, but proved that Lukaku can be a menacing presence as a sub, physically beating up their opponents already tired defense.

About Alex Morgan

Alex Morgan, founder of Football Every Day, lives and breaths football from the West Coast of the United States in California. Aside from founding Football Every Day in January of 2013, Alex has also launched his own journalism career and hopes to help others do the same with FBED. He covers the San Jose Earthquakes as a beat reporter for QuakesTalk.com and his work has also been featured in the BBC's Match of the Day Magazine.