SEATTLE — Striker Charles De Ketelaere scored a first-half brace to propel Belgium to a 2-1 halftime lead after the first 45 minutes were thoroughly dominated by the Red Devils in their World Cup round of 16 match against the United States on Monday.
De Ketelaere scored in the ninth and 33rd minutes, both times taking advantage of an overmatched United States backline to leave goalkeeper Matt Freese with no chance.
U.S. midfielder Malik Tillman tied the game at 1-1 in the 31st minute when his free kick from just outside Belgium’s box was deflected and found the back of the net with Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois diving in the opposite direction.
The momentum was very short-lived, however, as De Ketelaere connected with a header off a cross from Leandro Trossard. It was the second time De Ketelaere got between American defenders Tim Ream and Antonee Robinson.
The first goal came in the ninth minute, when the U.S. failed to clear their lines despite having numerous players in the box. Nicolas Raskin, starting in place of Kevin De Bruyne, collected the ball on the edge of the penalty box. He sent a short cross to De Ketelaere, who easily converted after sneaking between Ream and Robinson.
It marked the seventh and eighth international goals for De Ketelaere, who also scored in Belgium’s 5-2 win over the USMNT in a March friendly in Atlanta.
The American backline that had been considered the team’s weakness entering the World Cup appeared overwhelmed by the step up in competition from the outset against ninth-ranked Belgians.
Coach Rudi Garcia made four changes to his starting XI from his team’s dramatic 3-2 extra-time win over Senegal in the round of 32, and they quickly paid dividends. The Red Devils were aggressive from the outset, logging their first shot attempt in the first minute, forcing a diving save from Freese. Belgium captain Youri Tielemans also failed to convert an excellent look a few minutes later.
While Belgium was credited with only a 48-45% edge in possession in the first half by FIFA.com, the Red Devils put 5 of 11 attempts on target. The USMNT managed just the lone shot on target off the free kick.
–Derek Harper, Field Level Media
