Matt Calkins: USMNT still far off from World Cup breakthrough after Belgium loss

Matt Calkins, The Seattle Times on Jul 7, 2026

Published in Soccer

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SEATTLE — The buildup to the game was, without a doubt, the most soap-operatic in the U.S. men's soccer team's history.

There was a star striker whose suspension got suspended due to presidential intervention, and an aftermath that had people either elated or enraged.

Folarin Balogun, the United States' leading scorer in this FIFA World Cup, was not supposed to play against Belgium in Monday's round-of-16 game at Seattle Stadium due to a red card he incurred five days earlier vs. Bosnia-Herzegovina. But after FIFA reversed course on the heels of a call from President Donald Trump — who asked for the suspension to be reviewed (and who FIFA denied having any influence on its verdict), Balogun was back and Belgium was fuming.

Debates raged about whether this 180 was correct or just corrupt. And though Americans seemed largely pleased with the decision, their team seemed to take a heel turn in the eyes of the rest of the world.

That, right there, is peak drama. Unlike the match … which was peak dud.

There is nothing to review in this one, folks. Belgium was the better team by approximately three galaxies. The Red Devils eliminated the U.S. from the World Cup after walking off with a 4-1 win.

It's not often that a three-score victory feels like it was closer than it should have been, but that's what happened in Seattle. And despite any strides it may have felt like the United States made in the soccer ranks throughout this tournament, that defeat only reinforced the idea that it's a perpetual also-ran.

"We were not the same team during the tournament when we showed our quality. Very bad day," USMNT coach Mauricio Pochettino said. "We never were with the flow of the game."

Translation from Coachspeak to English: We sucked.

Belgium scored nine minutes into the game when Charles De Ketelaere tapped in a pass from Nicolas Raskin past U.S. goalkeeper Matt Freese to take a 1-0 lead. The U.S. wouldn't threaten until 22 minutes later, when Malik Tillman — for the second time in as many games — scored on a free kick and tied the score at 1-1.

The equalizer unleashed the States' most potent asset: the crowd. But 120 seconds later, another De Ketelaere goal — this time on a header — put that asset back in its kennel. The Belgium striker scored on a cross from forward Leandro Trossard in the 33rd minute to give the Red Devils a lead they would never relinquish.

It's hard to say the U.S. fought valiantly, either. It appeared tentative throughout the first half, getting just two shots to Belgium's 11. In the 57th minute, Freese turned the ball over outside the penalty box when his foot dragged against the grass on an attempt to clear it, then watched Belgium midfielder Hans Vanaken boot it past him to make it 3-1. If you needed one play to define the Americans' ineptitude Monday, it was that.

Balogun, meanwhile, did virtually nothing to help his team. U.S. midfielder Tyler Adams was asked if all the "noise" regarding the striker's suspended red card was to blame for him not being "a major presence" on the field.

Answered Adams: "Was anyone a major presence on the field today?"

Aside from Tillman in the first half, not really. By game's end — after a fourth Belgium goal scored in second-half stoppage time — the Americans had been outshot 15-7. They put just two shots on target compared with Belgium's seven, and saved fewer shots (three) than they allowed goals.

The whole ordeal serves fans with one giant helping of ambivalence. On one hand, this team has inspired a level of patriotism American men's soccer rarely enjoys. Yes, it had won its group before, and yes, it had advanced in the knockout round. But to do both on its home soil this World Cup prompted "U-S-A! chants that could be heard across the Atlantic.

On the other hand, that breakthrough this team's fans have been waiting for still feels like an ocean away.

Beating 34th-ranked Paraguay in the tournament opener felt nice. Beating 28th-ranked Australia to lock up the group stage felt satisfying. Beating 61st-ranked Bosnia in the round of 32 felt exhilarating. Getting clobbered by eighth-ranked Belgium, well, that just felt … clarifying.

The U.S. just isn't there yet. This World Cup was a wild ride that had fans across the country daring to dream that something historic was unfolding.

But believing is one thing. Belonging? Something else entirely.

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