SEATTLE (AP) 鈥� The United States鈥� hopes for a deep run at home ended when Charles De Ketelaere scored twice and assisted on another goal, helping Belgium expose the Americans鈥� defensive liabilities in a 4-1 win Monday night that earned a quarterfinal berth.
While the U.S. was boosted by the presence of star forward Folarin Balogun, whose , American defenders were at fault in a pair of first-half goals and goalkeeper Matt Freese’s gaffe gave the Red Devils a third early in the second half.
Second-half substitute Romelu Lukaku added Belgium’s final goal in the third minute of stoppage time after Chris Richards’ giveaway.
鈥淓veryone saw from the beginning we didn鈥檛 connect with the game,鈥� said U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino, who showed his frustration after Belgium’s second goal by kicking a rack in front of the bench, sending four water bottles flying. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a process to learn. We need to assess that game and we need to see why we didn鈥檛 approach the game in the same way that (we approached) the rest of the World Cup.鈥�
Seeking its first World Cup title, Belgium knocked the U.S. out in the round of 16 for the second time in 12 years and extended its unbeaten streak to 18 games. The Red Devils play on Friday at Inglewood, California, for a semifinal berth against France or Morocco.
Malik Tillman tied the score 1-1 midway through the first half with his second free kick goal of the tournament, but the Americans conceded just 61 seconds after the ensuing kickoff.
American star could only watch from the bench after injuring his right foot when he hit a boot of Belgium captain Youri Tielemans on a 52nd-minute shot attempt. Pulisic favored his foot after that and was replaced seven minutes later.
After winning three games in a World Cup for the first time in this expanded 48-nation tournament, the U.S. failed in its quest to reach the quarterfinals for the first time since 2002 and lost to Belgium for the seventh straight time since a victory at the initial tournament in 1930. The Americans have dropped 11 of their last 12 games against European opponents, winning only their round of 32 match against Bosnia-Herzegovina.
A heralded generation led by Pulisic, Weston McKennie and Tyler Adams only partially accomplished their goal of lifting soccer鈥檚 stature closer to that of the NFL, MLB and the NBA.
De Ketelaere put Belgium ahead in the eighth minute, the first time in this year鈥檚 World Cup the U.S. conceded first.
Tillman鈥檚 goal in the 31st minute energized a largely red-white-and-blue crowd of 66,925 at Lumen Field, but De Ketelaere damped that and assisted on Hans Vanaken鈥檚 57th-minute goal after Freese lost control of the ball in front of his net.
All six CONCACAF nations have been eliminated, with the co-hosts U.S., Mexico and Canada falling in the round of 16. All quarterfinalists will come from Europe, Africa or South America, reinforcing the weakness of CONCACAF and Asia.
Belgium, which left stars J茅r茅my Doku and Kevin DeBruyne on the bench, pressed from the start and exposed a defense that was regarded as the Americans鈥� weak spot.
Dodi Luk茅bakio made a long diagonal pass to the opposite corner, leading to the opening goal. Leandro Troussard controlled the ball and his cross was blocked by Alex Freeman and popped into the air.
Freeman headed the ball into the penalty area and Timothy Castagne charged after it and hooked a centering pass around Richards. De Ketelaere split Tim Ream and Antonee Robinson and with his right foot redirected the ball into an open net.
Pochettino held out his arms, as if to ask: What was going on?
Tillman scored after Brandon Mechele knocked down Balogun about 25 yards from goal. Tillman鈥檚 kick deflected off Vanaken鈥檚 head and deflected to the left of goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, who had dived right.
Troussard got around Sergi帽o Dest for a cross and De Ketelaere outjumped Ream and headed the ball past Freese in the 33rd minute for his eighth international goal.
Belgium built a two-goal lead when Mechele lofted a long ball that Freese chested after two hops. Freese hesitated with a touch, then scrambled and kicked the ball off De Ketelaere. Vanaken one-timed a shot from 35 yards that deflected in off Ream, who tried for an off-balance clearance.
Lukaku entered in the 67th minute and scored his 93rd international goal.
Vanaken replaced midfielder Amadou Onana midway through the first half after Onana suffered what coach Rudi Garcia feared might be a serious knee injury.
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