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The US World Cup preparations hit a snag
The United States scored first via Weston McKennie, but completely fell apart afterwards in surrendering five straight goals to a fine-tuned Belgian squad.
Stay tuned here for postmatch reaction from our team on the ground.
FINAL: USA 2-5 Belgium
Welp. That was not the tune-up the US was hoping for.
90+5min: Patrick Agyemang attempts an acrobatic effort at the death. It sails over the bar.
89min: “THAT’S TERRIBLE” says an attendee just above the press box. Hard to argue.
Goal! USA 2-5 Belgium (Agyemang, 87)
The US gets one back thanks to some especially bad playing out of the back by Belgium. Ricardo Pepi strips Youri Tielemans in possession at the top of his own box and feeds Agyemang, who applies an easy finish. It’s a consolation goal, but it’s something.
85min: There are boos at Mercedes-Benz Stadium as Belgium nearly adds a sixth but for a nice save by Matt Turner, who has been in the firing line today.
Goal! USA 1-5 Belgium (Lukebakio, 81)
And now it’s ugly for the US. Very ugly indeed. Once again, Max Arfted is beaten by a Belgian run into the box, Sebastian Berhalter gets the ball stuck under his feet, and Lukebakio pops up to finish well for his second of the match.
You can file this one under “embarrassment” for the US, I think.
Reader Scott gets back in touch …
Is it too much to call this a witless managerial performance? From the 10th minute forward, Doku has torn the US right side apart and Pochettino did … nothing. I understand the goal of giving a final test to some players to decide if they make the squad. But surely that must be balanced with preserving some sense of what the team can and should do in the actual World Cup games. It seems to me that Pochettino has done very little of that during his tenure. While I think he is an upgrade on Berhalter in many ways, I’m not sure the results will be much better given the evidence we have so far.
The results have been up and down under Pochettino, no doubt about that.
66,867 are in attendance today at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Polite applause all around.
From Jeff Rueter: Pulisic and McKennie, the faces of the program, sub off in the 70th minute after a hydration break. Pulisic left looking fuming – not about getting the hook, but about his own performance. Belgium found it easy to mitigate for him and his shooting was downright errant.
Would’ve been informative to see Gio Reyna alongside Pulisic for the final 20’, but Pulisic’s relative dip in form wasn’t left behind in Milan.
More US subs: Gio Reyna, Joe Scally, Pat Agyemang and Ricardo Pepi all coming on for the US. Tillman, Balogun, McKennie among those coming off. Reyna daps up former teammate Axel Witsel on the sideline before he comes in for Belgium along side Youri Tielemans.
Goal! USA 1-4 Belgium (Lukebakio, 68)
Well, it’s a rout at home for the US. Dodi Lukebakio, who had only just come on as a substitute, glides past Max Arfsten, cutting inside on to his left foot, which it turns out is quite good. He loops a lovely finish past Turner.
64min: A mass of subs for both sides, with Sebastian Berhalter, Max Arfsten, and Alex Freeman coming on for the US in place of Tim Weah, Antonee Robinson, and Tanner Tessmann.
GOAL! USA 1-3 Belgium (De Ketelaere, 59)
Charles De Ketelaere makes no mistake with his penalty after a lengthy appeal from the US and VAR review. A really weird sequence, that unfortunately for Turner will count as a goal against instead of the very nice reaction save that resulted from Ream’s deflection.
Penalty confirmed. Meunier’s header was indeed deflected by Tim Ream’s hand. Turner now must face the PK…
Penalty! Tim Ream is called for a handball in the box as he deflected a headed effort by Belgium. The referee is going to the VAR monitor….
56min: The US has their first big chance after the Belgian go-ahead goal, but Weah catches it all wrong. Been that kind of night in front of goal for the US.
GOAL! USA 1-2 Belgium (Onana, 53)
The US had started brightly, but Belgium puts an end to that momentum with a finish from the top of the box by Aston Villa’s Amadou Onana.
For the millionth time in this liveblog, I mist type that Doku started the attacking move, beating Weah on the dribble and laying off the Saelemaekers, who found an unmarked Onana onrushing at the top of the penalty area.
52min: Wow, what a nice move by Christian Pulisic, tap dancing through the heart of the Belgian defense, ending at the penalty spot, but applying maybe the worst finish attempt possible as it sails over the bar. He’s going to want that one back.
51min: Cristian Roldan immediately contributes with a strong, fair tackle to break up a period of Belgian possession. As Jack Edwards would say: that’s why he’s here.
Second half is underway!
Only one change at halftime for the US: Cristian Roldan enters in place of Johnny Cardoso.
Reader Justin gets in touch …
What does Pochettino need to change at half-time? His team’s jerseys/uniforms/strips (depending on your region!) for starters. Alex Ferguson perfected the art of blaming a bad first-half on a grey jersey; Poch can blame it on the similarity of shades here. He can blend it into his half-time talk too: “Let’s see more stars out there, and less stripes…”
I like the brand synergy!
From Jeff Rueter: Christian Pulisic has long been the US’s primary corner taker, with Sebastian Berhalter stepping in during the Gold Cup and occasionally handling the duty thereafter. Antonee Robinson’s placement on the opener is a crucial boost to help offer more in-swingers into the heart of the mixer, as both Pulisic and Berhalter are right-footed.
Halftime! USA 1-1 Belgium
A fairly even opening 45 minutes saw the Belgians storm back and dominate the minutes after the US’s opener in the 39th minute. Jérémy Doku has been the Red Devils’ most dangerous player by far.
What did you think of the opening 45? What does Pochettino need to change at halftime? Let me know at the link above, or @ me on BlueSky.
45+ min: Doku once again goes directly at Weah, and once again is able to fire a dangerous cutback into the box. This time it’s cut out by the US defense, but it’s more likely than not one of those is going to land if this keeps up.
GOAL! USA 1-1 Belgium (Debast, 45)
Belgium equalizes just before half-time off a nice hit from distance from Debast. Doku running at Weah created the goal, with his effort initially blocked out to Debast, who had time and space and fired a low shot that beat Turner to the far post.
Questions will be asked of the US goalkeeper there given the competition at the position.
Goal! USA 1-0 Belgium (McKennie 39)
Weston McKennie breaks through for the USA! The Juventus man stole in unmarked on a corner kick, finishing on the doorstep having lost the attentions of Belgium’s Nicolas Raskin. The wand celebration is back in stars and stripes.
37min: Goal called off! Doku, dangerous again, gets free down the left wing and fires in a nice ball to De Ketelaere. Turner fails to gather his effrort but is bailed out when the ball goes into the back of the net off the Belgian’s arm. Not a great moment for the US goalkeeper there, despite the letoff.
35min: McKennie and Robinson combine for a nice little move down the left side, but it’s cut out well and shepherded over the line for a goal kick by Zeno Debast.
From Jeff Rueter:
Tim Weah’s making his first US start as a right back and through a quarter of the match, he’s nailed the test. Jérémy Doku is as tricky an assignment as anybody with the ball at his feet, but Weah just stayed upright as Doku tried juking right and left before Weah cleared the ball off of his shin. Still questions further upfield from him about the team’s shape on the right, but that’s a great first impression by Weah in a possible area of need for Pochettino.
31min: Pulisic picks up a loose ball at the top of the Belgian box and feeds Balogun, but his attempt at a far-post finish is saved by Lammens.
29min: Turner makes another save, low to the ground off a long-range effort. He’s been reasonably busy so far in the first half.
25min: Matt Turner is forced into a save when a De Bruyne effort from distance deflects off Mark McKenzie, forcing Turner to tip it over the bar. Resulting corner comes to nothing.
Why a cooling break? For practice. The cooling breaks are in use in this friendly because they will mimic what will happen this summer at the World Cup. Fifa announced that every match at the tournament will feature colling breaks at these times, regardless of weather or venue.
23min: We now, quite ridiculously, have a cooling break, despite this match taking place indoors and under climate control. The crowd is booing.
On the plus side, we get to listen to the Rocky fight music.
22min: Jérémy Doku comes at Tim Weah with pace, getting to the endline ready to put in a dangerous ball, but McKennie steps in with a defensive effort to earn a goal kick. Nice work by McKennie there, and an equally impressive run by Doku.
17min: CHANCE! Malik Tillman’s corner kick finds its way through a collection of bodies to a completely unmarked Weston McKennie on the doorstep. He takes a shot on the half-volley and but Lammens makes himself big and denies a sure goal. The US really should be up 1-0 now.
16min: Antonee Robinson charges the other way after cutting out a Belgian counterattack, interchanging nicely with Folarin Balogun and earning a corner.
14min: Another attempt from distance by Christian Pulisic, knifing through the center of the park under no pressure but with a shot that rolls harmlessly wide.
13min: Belgium freekick in the right half-space is headed out by Tim Real.
Reader Scott gets in touch: The shirt colors from distance are way too similar. It’s like 20 v two keepers.
Again: My advice is to watch the shorts. But yes, this is unideal.
8min – Tillman and Pulisic play an easy 1-2 off a corner kick, finding Antonee Robinson with acres of space at the top of the box. He rips a shot that forces a good save from Lammens.
There seems to be some lack of clarity between Weston McKennie and Malik Tillman on who’s supposed to be patrolling a right winger’s defensive plot. Belgium taking advantage thus far by working up its left side.
Then again, it leaves a lot of room open for Tim Weah, who gave the visitors its second real test with a direct scamper up the flank. A lot of organization still to be done on that side. – Jeff Rueter
7min – Great ball over the top by Malik Tillman to Tim Weah, who caught the ball on the bounce to cross it into the box for Pulisic, whose header from the top of the 18 went over the bar. A promising attacking movement for the US.
Yeah, we have a bit of a kit clash situation happening here, with both teams wearing their lighter shade. One of those situations where you just have to watch the shorts.
We are underway!
1min – the US kicks off, and to be honest, the most notable thing so far is how hard it is to tell the kits apart in person.
Aidan Fisher, who appeared in Season 4 of Stranger Things, delivered a rollicking, wailing guitar solo version of the US national anthem on a diamond-studded guitar. A true sentence.
The players are lined up in the tunnel, they’re wearing the cool new warmup jackets made of netted mesh, the stands at the stadium are maybe 2/3rds full. Let’s play some soccer.
Fun fact: The US last beat Belgium in international competition on the men’s side in 1930. Will they end 96 years of hurt this afternoon??!!
Belgium's starting XI
The visitors come out with a strong lineup, with Kevin De Bruyne starting underneath Charles De Ketelaere, Man City’s Jérémy Doku and Alexis Saelemaekers on the wings.
Alexander Abnos
The US lists its lineups in numerical order, so the big question given the personnel is what sort of look we’ll see from the US on the field.
The match notes says that Mark McKenzie and Tim Ream are “partnered together in central defense,” which indicates it’ll be a four-man backline with Antonee Robinson at left back.
Who will be at right back? The most likely option would seem to be Tim Weah, who plays something resembling that role often at Marseille (though not usually in a four-man backline).
The rest of the lineup is a bit more easy to parse. Johnny Cardoso and Tanner Tessmann form a likely double-pivot. Attacking midfield will be some arrangement of Weston McKennie, Christian Pulisic, and Malik Tillman. And then Folarin Balogun gets the start up top.
How will this look in practice? In possession? Out of possession? We’ll just have to wait to find out.
The USMNT starters
Jeff Rueter
The biggest eye-brow raiser of Pochettino’s lineup is the return of Matt Turner, making his first start since 11 June in a pre-Gold Cup friendly. The pick breaks Matt Freese’s 12-match streak of starting in goal. Is this just trying to give the 2022 World Cup starter a chance to shake the international rust, or is it evidence that the competition in goal isn’t as settled as 2025 suggested?
Pregame reading
Alexander Abnos
The Guardian has plenty for you to read to get up to speed ahead of the match.
Pablo Iglesias Maurer takes a look at the pressure faced by Mauricio Pochettino and Christian Pulisic, and how they’re dealing with it.
Jeff Rueter on the midfield battle, where the most painful World Cup roster cuts will be:
Alexander Abnos (hey, that’s me!) on the suddenly shorthanded center back pool
What Gio Reyna said about his self-confessed “controversial” selection to the team despite a lack of playing time:
And last, three things to watch for the USMNT throughout this game, and Tuesday’s friendly v Portugal:
Preamble
Alexander Abnos
Hello friends, Alexander Abnos here at Mercedes-Benz Stadium for the second-to-last friendly for the US men’s national team before Mauricio Pochettino names his World Cup roster.
I’ll be back with you a bit more regularly once lineups are out. In the meantime, feel free to get in touch using the links up there in the header.
