Belgium Sends Message to the U.S. After Victory

On Monday night, Belgium had a straightforward, albeit harsh, message for the United States after their 4-1 win at Seattle Stadium.

The Red Devils tweeted, “Turn this around,” shortly after their victory, sharing an image of star player Romelu Lukaku.

This comes just days after some drama surrounding the World Cup. American player Folarin Balogun had a one-match suspension overturned, enabling his participation in the knockout rounds. Interestingly, this decision seemed to stem from support linked to President Trump’s influence.

The Belgian Football Association expressed its discontent with this situation, stating, “To date, the RBFA has not received the basis for this decision, nor the information it has requested since the start of this procedure, including a copy of this decision, the rationale for declaring the player eligible, or the referee’s report.” They emphasized that this situation violates FIFA regulations.

Furthermore, the RBFA informed the U.S. Soccer Federation that they would challenge Balogun’s eligibility if he is listed on the referee’s team sheet, indicating potential follow-up actions.

Belgium took command early in the game, scoring just nine minutes in when Charles De Ketelaere found the net, instantly putting the U.S. team on the defensive.

Malik Tillman managed to equalize with a direct kick in the 31st minute. However, barely two minutes passed before De Ketelaere struck again and restored Belgium’s lead, which they maintained with determination.

Hans Vanaken capitalized on a mistake from U.S. goalkeeper Matt Freese, increasing the margin to 3-1, and Lukaku sealed the deal with a goal during stoppage time.

Belgium is set to face Spain in the quarterfinals, while the United States will be left to watch the remainder of the tournament from home.