USMNT fans were beginning to wonder—some more loudly and boldly than others—if it was actually possible to lift the World Cup this summer. But after a heavy round of 16 defeat to Belgium, a performance Mauricio Pochettino termed “not good enough,” that dream quickly went up in smoke.
With the pregame narrative dominated by Folarin Balogun’s highly controversial availability, the American team struggled to compete from the very beginning against its toughest opponent of the World Cup. Belgium led inside the first 10 minutes and, even though Malik Tillman tied the score with a deflected free kick, the U.S. immediately trailed again and never really got close.
