The talking point ahead of this match was the United States’ Folarin Balogun. Suspended for a red card in the previous match, Balogun was not expected to play but took the field following a controversial FIFA ruling. His return, however, had little positive impact. Belgium’s dominant football overwhelmed co-host United States in the round of 16, as Charles De Ketelaere’s brace helped the European side win 4-1.
De Ketelaere scored twice for Belgium in the first half. Hans Vanaken and star player Romelu Lukaku each added a goal in the second half. Malik Tillman scored the lone goal for the United States in the first half. Belgium will face fellow European powerhouse Spain in the quarter-finals, after Spain beat Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal 1-0 in the night’s other match. The two European heavyweights will meet at 1am (Bangladesh time) on July 11 for a place in the semi-finals.
Belgium played aggressively from the start and were rewarded quickly, taking the lead through De Ketelaere in the ninth minute. The hosts appeared to falter after conceding, and the crowd fell momentarily silent. But the Americans recovered quickly — Malik Tillman equalized with an excellent free kick in the 31st minute, reigniting the home crowd.
The joy was short-lived. Just two minutes after the equalizer, Belgium struck again — De Ketelaere headed in his second goal from a precise cross by Leandro Trossard, restoring Belgium’s lead at 2-1. Both sides created further chances in the remainder of the first half, but there were no more goals, and the teams went into the break at 2-1.
Belgium maintained pressure in the second half, and it paid off in the 57th minute, when De Ketelaere turned provider, setting up Hans Vanaken to find the net.
Both sides continued to attack afterward. Belgium focused on tightening their defense, and the United States could not change the scoreline despite substitutions. Late in the match, Belgium produced one more flourish — in the third minute of stoppage time, Vanaken, the third goal-scorer, launched a swift counterattack and set up Romelu Lukaku with a superb pass. The star forward made no mistake, driving the final nail into the hosts’ coffin as Belgium secured a commanding win to reach the quarter-finals.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report