World Cup: Belgium beats USA 4-1 as Balogun struggles

Folarin Balogun's return to the United States team was disappointing on Monday. Belgium showed their strength and eliminated the World Cup co-hosts with a 4-1 victory in their Round of 16 match in Seattle.

Balogun was cleared to play after FIFA put his one-match ban on hold following his red card against Bosnia and Herzegovina. He started as the Americans' main striker but did not make much impact and was replaced by Haji Wright after 90 minutes.

This loss ended the United States' hopes of reaching the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time since 2002. All three co-host nations are now out of the tournament after the Round of 16.

The result also ended the debate around Balogun's eligibility. FIFA's decision drew criticism from UEFA, Belgium, and former FIFA president Sepp Blatter.

Balogun struggles on return

Balogun, who had scored three goals earlier in the tournament, was expected to lead the American attack against Belgium.

Instead, the 25-year-old had one of his quietest games of the tournament. He did not score or assist, did not create any chances, and completed only six of his ten passes. His pass accuracy was 60 percent, the lowest among all U.S. starters.

Balogun also did not complete a dribble or make a tackle. He recorded only 19 actions during his time on the pitch, which was the second-fewest of any American starter. His struggles mirrored the entire U.S. attack, which struggled against a strong Belgian defense.

Belgium seize control

Before the match, all eyes were on Balogun's spot in the lineup after FIFA's decision on his ban.

U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino kept faith in his top scorer, but Belgium quickly showed they were not bothered by the controversy surrounding Balogun.

The Red Devils almost scored in the first minute when Timothy Castagne forced U.S. goalkeeper Matt Freese into a save. Their pressure paid off in the ninth minute. After the American defense failed to clear, Nicolas Raskin ran into the penalty area and squared the ball for Charles De Ketelaere, who tapped it into an empty net.

Belgium faced an early setback when midfielder Amadou Onana limped off with an injury, but it did not affect their game. The United States equalized in the 30th minute through Malik Tillman. His free-kick took a deflection and beat the Belgian goalkeeper.

But the Americans' happiness was short-lived. Just two minutes later, Leandro Trossard sent a cross into the box, and De Ketelaere headed home his second goal of the night to put Belgium back in the lead.

Pochettino was visibly upset with his team's defending and brought in Giovanni Reyna for Sergiño Dest at the start of the second half. But the change did not help the flow of the game.

Belgium took control in the 57th minute when goalkeeper Matt Freese rushed off his line and lost the ball to Hans Vanaken. Vanaken curled a beautiful shot into the empty net from long range to make it 3-1.

With a comfortable lead, Belgium controlled the game and did not give the United States a chance to come back. Romelu Lukaku finished the scoring late in the match, sealing a 4-1 victory.

Quarter-final beckons

Belgium's seventh straight win over the United States sends Rudi Garcia's team into the World Cup quarter-finals. They will face Spain in Los Angeles.

For the United States, this defeat ends a campaign that had a lot of promise. They played well during the group stage, and Balogun was one of the tournament's top scorers. But their World Cup journey ended with a big loss to a Belgian team that was too organized and experienced.