SEATTLE — Shortly after Romelu Lukaku scored the goal that capped a commanding 4-1 win over the United States, Belgium’s all-time leading goal scorer held his right hand to his ear.
On American soil, and in the aftermath of star U.S. forward Folarin Balogun being permitted to play after a one-game red-card suspension was controversially lifted by FIFA, Lukaku egged on the crowd of 66,925 at Lumen Field. The Red Devils then took to social media to poke more fun in light of what they considered no laughing matter, posting above the photo the words: “Overturn this.”
“There’s always a justice somewhere in life,” Belgian midfielder Nicolas Raskin said. “The fact that something happened like that, we don’t think that was fair. And today, I think it just brings us a little bit of [motivation] that we needed to win the game.”
The Belgian soccer federation wanted an explanation from FIFA about the decision to let Balogun play. Many of Belgium’s players, though, insisted they didn’t need any additional motivation for Monday’s match.
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Belgium extended its unbeaten streak to 18 games, and knocked out the U.S. in the round of 16 for the second time in 12 years.
American players including defender Alex Freeman entered the evening wanting revenge for 2014, and for a 5-2 blowout loss in a World Cup warmup match in March. Belgium captain Youri Tielemans and company had other ideas, and collectively turned in a clinical performance.
“We put in a lot of intensity, there was quality too,” Tielemans said. “Defensively, we were really compact. We tried to put them under pressure and it really worked out for us. We scored at the right moments, too.”
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Though Lukaku put the finishing touches on the win, it was not Belgium’s so-called “Golden Generation” that propelled the side to victory. Jérémy Doku didn’t start for the Red Devils, and Kevin De Bruyne never came off the bench.
Rather than Lukaku or De Bruyne, the two most accomplished scorers in Belgian national team history, it was Charles De Ketelaere who tallied a brace. De Ketelaere considered the showing his greatest yet for the Red Devils, whose four goals were the most the U.S. had allowed in a World Cup game since a 5-1 loss to Czechoslovakia in 1990.
“It’s a great feeling to put out this performance in this game and to go through,” De Ketelaere said. “It’s amazing for the team and for the country.”
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Hans Vanaken also scored for Belgium, which went quite close to not advancing to the round of 16 in the first place. To even play the U.S. required a dramatic comeback from a two-goal deficit to beat Senegal in the round of 32.
The Red Devils were shaky at the beginning of the tournament, settling for draws against Iran and Egypt. If not for a dominant 5-1 win over New Zealand, Belgium may have failed to get out of the group stage, just as it came up short four years ago in Qatar.
“I think we could [have done] much better in the group phase,” midfielder Dodi Lukébakio said. “But, we grew. Today, we are showing that we have more confidence. And with the results, it helps us a lot. And, we are showing our quality, definitely.”
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The Red Devils next play 2010 champion Spain on Friday at Inglewood, California, for a semifinal berth against France or Morocco.
They will do so without midfielder Amadou Onana, who coach Rudi Garcia said sustained a “serious injury” while marking U.S. forward Christian Pulisic in the 19th minute. Vanaken replaced Onana in the 21st minute.
Aside from Onana’s injury, which Garcia referred to as a “dark cloud” that hung over the team, it was Belgium’s night. Considering the build-up to the game, which included President Donald Trump calling FIFA president Gianni Infantino seeking a review of Balogun’s red card, it made the victory that much sweeter.
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“Our job was to show on the pitch that we are here for football,” Tielemans said. “That decision was out of our hands, and we just had to talk on the field. And, we did that today.”
Veteran goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois apparently wasn’t upset by the pre-match drama.
“I read things and I laughed,” he said. “I was more sure of beating the USA than Senegal, because Senegal is a better soccer team than the United States”
