Belgium advanced to the World Cup quarterfinals by defeating the United States 4-1 in the round of 16 on Monday night at Lumen Field in Seattle.
Charles De Ketelaere scored twice and provided one assist, while Hans Vanaken and Romelu Lukaku added goals to extend Belgium's unbeaten streak to 18 matches.
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The defeat marked the heaviest World Cup loss for the U. S.
squad since a 5-1 opening-match defeat against Czechoslovakia in 1990.
The Americans suffered early defensive lapses and a major second-half error by goalkeeper Matt Freese, while star forward Christian Pulisic was forced off with a right ankle injury in the 52nd minute.
The loss eliminated the final remaining CONCACAF nation from the tournament, leaving the U. S.
with 11 defeats in their last 12 games against European opponents.
Reaction from the U.S. Camp
“It stinks,” said U. S.
midfielder Tyler Adams, reflecting on the missed opportunity to progress further on home soil.
“This was a moment to have an opportunity to advance and really try and do something special. We fell short.”
Adams noted that the squad had aimed to elevate the sport's profile domestically before the crowd of 66,925 fans.
“A goal was obviously to inspire people that the sport was growing in the U. S.
, which I think we saw. The support was unbelievable,” he said.
“In this moment we let them down.”
U. S.
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