USA vs Belgium Live Updates

Live updates: USA vs Belgium

By Simon Smale

110

Key Events

16

USA vs Belgium

32

Goals

2

Portugal vs Spain

73

Comments

7

14' Another chance for Belgium

By Simon Smale

There is so much time on the edge of the penalty area out wide for the Belgian team.

They move the ball around nicely and then fire a cross in towards Leandro Trossard, who just can't make contact.

The USA defence is all over the place.

They're standing off the Belgians and, even when they get the ball, they're messing around with it far too much.

Case in point, Belgium wins the ball back as the USA play out and Trossard blasts over.

I think that's the seventh shot Belgium have had in the opening 15 minutes.

9' BELGIUM SCORES!

By Simon Smale

Horrible defence from the USA.

Nicolas Raskin won the ball inside the penalty area as the USA just dallied in clearing it.

He squared it into the six-yard box and Charles De Ketelaere is on hand to bundle the ball home.

Magical stuff from the Belgians.

Horror for the USA and the crowd has developed that shocked silence that comes when a big group doesn't quite know what to do with itself.

8' CHANCE BELGIUM!

By Simon Smale

Youri Tielemans has missed a sitter there.

It's a brilliant cut-back cross to him from the right side after some lovely work from Dodi Lukébakio, linking up with Leandro Trossard.

He has to score but barely makes contact with the ball.

Look who's here ...

By Simon Smale

Watching in New York, New York

A

By Amanda Shalala

I’m at a packed sports bar in midtown Manhattan to watch this game. It’s pouring down outside, so bars all over the city are crammed full of people for this game.

Interestingly, there were some jeers when the broadcaster announced Balogun in the starting line-up, but overall it’s obviously a very pro-American crowd.

2' Header saved by the USA

By Simon Smale

The corner is swept in and a Belgian head gets to the ball, it's easily saved though by Freese.

1' What a save!

By Simon Smale

Brilliant blocks from the USA defence, but then a shot from Timothy Castagne finds its way through and forces a brilliant save by Matt Freese!

Freese has had to go a long way to his right and it's just a finger tip save.

It's going to be a corner — but a really good start from Belgium.

1' We're underway in Seattle

By Simon Smale

Belgium in white, which I am told is pale blue and pink, the USA in the navy blue.

USA win predicted

By Simon Smale

I think people are going to be severely disappointed when Belgium end up losing. I predict a 3-1 USA win

- LK

The thing is, I've liked how the USA have started in all their previous matches. They've been fun to watch and have had a really good style about them.

With the crowd and the way they've been playing, I have them as slight favourites in this game, to be honest.

Shame.

Here come the players

By Simon Smale

Bright sunshine in Seattle as the players march out onto the field.

The stadium, obviously, is packed and the vast, vast majority of the supporters there will bleed stars and stripes.

The Belgian anthem, La Brabançonne, is sung first.

And then a roaring edition of the Star Spangled Banner.

All finished by a F16 flyover, which gets the patriotic juices flowing.

USA belief growing, says Sergino Dest

By Simon Smale

The USA squad will look to harness their fans' growing belief in their World Cup chances when they take on Belgium for a place in the quarterfinals, Sergino Dest says.

The team celebrated the country's 250th anniversary in time-honoured fashion by watching fireworks with family and friends, after a relaxed training session on Saturday morning.

The squad attended Friday night's Seattle Mariners baseball game, and midfielder Cristian Roldan whipped up the crowd with a cry of "let's go win a World Cup", reflecting the co-hosts' increasing confidence.

Dest says they are aiming to use that energy in front of a full house in Seattle for what he accepted could be the biggest game in US soccer history so far.

"At the moment, maybe yes," he told reporters.

"Hopefully, we will win this game, and then we can even play more games in this tournament. Because we have an amazing group at the moment.

"We play really well, and we're all just so motivated, and the country believes – everybody believes at the moment ... the support is huge."

Belgium, though, are on a high themselves following a remarkable comeback against Senegal and Dest said they were dangerous despite a shaky start to the World Cup.

"They are inconsistent this tournament, but we still know that they have qualities," he said.

Reuters

Listen: FIFA whistleblower says Belgium could play the long game

By Simon Smale

Radio National Breakfast interviewed Bonita Mersiades this morning.

The former Football Federation Australia leader has previously investigated FIFA corruption and wrote a book about it too.

Needless to say, she had plenty of opinions on this Balogun incident.

She also noted that Belgium could end up playing a longer game about this.

"Well, Belgium FA has said that they're going to take all possible options, and the reality is that prior to the kick-off ... there's not much that they can do," Mersiades said.

"That's why I said this is really an issue of governance because what they can do is play a long game here and call in the resources of UEFA and the other member associations of UEFA to take this issue further in terms of the governance and the running of FIFA.

"Overnight, I've noticed that other football associations, particularly in Europe, have come in and supported Belgium, particularly Norway, Switzerland.

"I think others will get behind them because those who care about the game and the integrity of the game.

"You cannot, you should not be able to change the course of a game to a powerful person making a phone call to the president of an international sporting body."

Listen to her full interview on ABC Listen, here.

USA should feel confident: Pulisic

By Simon Smale

The USA are confident enough to play their own game against Belgium, talisman Christian Pulisic says ahead of a World Cup match which will provide the sternest test yet of the co-hosts' major tournament credentials.

The sides meet in a repeat of their 2014 clash, when Belgium knocked out the USA in extra-time, despite the heroics of goalkeeper Tim Howard.

The difference in quality between the sides, though, is smaller this time, and Pulisic said the USA have growing confidence, despite a 5-2 defeat in a friendly in March.

"We know what they [Belgium] have to offer," he told reporters.

"They have really talented players who can make a difference really quickly.

"But we're not going to completely reinvent our style either. Of course, we want to be aggressive and try to hurt them, as we have to other teams in this tournament.

"We have confidence regardless of the game in March. We know what we can do.

"We think we can hang — not just hang, but dominate spells of the game against some of the best teams ... I think we have the right to feel confident."

Reuters

I'll get Charlie to give Gianni a call

By Simon Smale

Would love a snarky comment from the English about getting their red-carded player from yesterday a reprieve.

- Sam

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Poetic justice incoming?

By Simon Smale

Balogun or no Balogun, I don’t think USA has a prayer against Belgium. Don’t worry folks , poetic justice is on the way.

- Phillip

I don't know many Belgian poets.

Perhaps the football gods will be kind.

The Belgians are having fun on their way to the stadium

By Simon Smale

Kevin-Prince Boateng calls Balogun decision 'a scandal'

By Simon Smale

Kevin-Prince Boateng has not held back about this topic on SBS.

"I am furious as well, it's a scandal and it's outrageous," he says.

"It's ruined for me, to believe in trust in future decisions at this tournament.

"We are opening doors that shouldn't be opened."

He has a message for Donald Trump too: "Stay out of our game."

Tommy Oar is less firm, but not too dissimilar to Boateng's comments.

"This is bigger than just this one decision," he says.

"It's questioning the trust that you can have in the framework that football is built on.

"It's a very slippery slope.

"I think it's a dangerous precedent to set.

"We need to be stronger and not allow the integrity of the game to be questioned."

USA hoping for support of the 12th man

By Simon Smale

Mauricio Pochettino said Belgium remained "one of the greatest teams in the world" and among the contenders to win the World Cup. The USA lost 5-2 to Belgium in March in a World Cup warm-up game.

USA fans see the game as a boost to the country's international football reputation and, domestically, puts the sport on a par with other major professional sports in America.

"I think this knockout round against a European country, being at the door of the quarterfinals, would make even more history for a country like this," Pochettino said.

Before this World Cup, he said, soccer in the US "was beginning to grow among young people, but now people are waking up and beginning to feel the sport''.

The USA and Belgium are playing in one of the country's biggest soccer cities and in a stadium known for being among the loudest in professional sports.

"We are going to have the support of our fans, the 12th Man," said Pochettino, referring to the diehard supporters of the Seattle Seahawks.