The US men’s national team entered its matchup with Belgium at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Saturday riding a wave of momentum, needing a solid performance to continue to build excitement ahead of this Summer’s World Cup, played in part on home soil.
Instead, they struggled mightily against a talented Belgium side and left with more questions than answers. The 5-2 defeat, featuring five straight goals for the Belgians after a US opener, was an embarrassment and easily among the USMNT’s worst losses of head coach Mauricio Pochettino’s tenure. At times, it felt the margin of victory could’ve been significantly wider.
Things are not about to get any easier for the US, who will face Portugal on Tuesday evening.
Both teams entered Saturday’s match on a run of good form, with the US unbeaten in their past five matches and Belgium unbeaten in nine. In the absence of center backs Chris Richards and Miles Robinson, Pochettino altered his starting lineup, pairing US captain Tim Ream with Mark McKenzie; Antonee Robinson filled his usual left back spot while Tim Weah filled the right back spot that he often has with Marseille. Maybe most surprisingly, New England Revolution goalkeeper Matt Turner started for the first time in nearly a year, supplanting Matt Freese, US coach Mauricio Pochettino’s favored choice as of late.
Turner and Weah both faced difficulty on Saturday, with Turner in part responsible for Belgium’s first goal and Weah consistently struggling to contain Manchester City winger Jérémy Doku, who on Saturday was Belgium’s most dangerous player.
In Rudi Garcia’s Belgium, the USMNT faced arguably their toughest opponent of the Pochettino era. Though missing regulars like all-time leading scorer Romelu Lukaku and Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, the ninth-ranked Red Devils are an undeniably tall task for the US, who are looking to test themselves against the types of teams they might face in the knockout round of this summer’s World Cup.
Weston McKennie’s opening strike came in the 39th minute as he did what he often does, arriving just in time on a well-worked set piece. Fulham defender Antonee Robinson’s well-placed corner kick found the Juventus midfielder inside the six yard box, and McKennie’s leaping, right-footed effort gave the US the lead just before half-time.
That lead wouldn’t last til the break, though. Belgium’s 45th-minute equalizer was unquestionably well-hit by defender Zeno Debast, and Turner was in part screened by a handful of US players. Undeniably, though, the US keeper should have done better with the attempt, hit on the ground from some 30 yards out.
Both squads were rotated heavily across the three permitted substitution breaks, with Seattle Sounders midfielder Christian Roldan replacing Atletico Madrid midfielder Johnny Cardoso at half-time. Cardoso’s club form has been excellent this season, yet Pochettino identified him earlier this week as a player with much to prove with the US. He did little to move the needle on Saturday. Truthfully, no US player did.
Fifa altered the rules for “A” international friendlies in late February, allowing a minimum of eight substitutions – and as many as 11 if both teams agree upon the additional substitutes, as the US and Belgium did on Saturday. The friendly was also the first time the USMNT experienced Fifa’s new, mandatory cooling which will be featured across every match this World Cup, even those played indoors and in air conditioning, as was the case on Saturday. The breaks were audibly booed by the 66,867 in attendance.
The US started the second half decently but had the air taken out of them quickly. Doku was once again at the center of the danger as he muscled away McKenzie at the edge of the six-yard box, eventually playing it across to Saelemaekers, who found Aston Villa’s Amadou Onana at the top of the 18. Onana’s low, driven attempt was well out of reach for Turner.
Ream was somewhat controversially whistled for a handball in the penalty area in the 55th minute. After review, Atalanta striker Charles De Ketelaere calmly converted the ensuing penalty kick, giving Belgium a 3-1 lead.
Belgium’s final goals came off the left foot of second-half substitute Dodi Lukebakio. In the 68th minute, the Benfica winger very easily dispatched of Columbus Crew defender Max Arfsten before striking a lovely, 20-yard shot across the face of goal and into the far side netting. The two were again involved 15 minutes later when Arfsten dealt poorly with a loose ball. Lukebakio was happy to capitalize on the error, smashing it home from closer range.
The US were allowed a consolation goal two minutes from full-time when a Belgian defensive blunder sprung Derby County striker Patrick Agyemang, who entered late in the second half, in on goal alone.
The US has not beaten Belgium since the group stage of the inaugural World Cup in 1930. All three goals in that victory came from early US legend Bert Pateneude; his hat-trick was the first by any player in World Cup history. From the looks of it, the US may need a similar type of performance against a team of Belgium’s caliber to progress in the World Cup.