Source :- PERTH NOW NEWS
The United States have been eliminated from their home FIFA World Cup after a brain fade from goalkeeper Matt Freese against Belgium.
Trailing 2-1 at half-time, the tournament co-hosts came out with a burst of momentum early in the second half and threatened to find an equaliser until it all “went horribly wrong” in the 57th minute on Tuesday (AEST).
Freese ran outside the box to meet a long ball that came in from deep in Belgium’s defensive half, and looked to have it under control until a slight hesitation cost him.
Freese’s moment of indecision was only a split-second, but that was all Belgium striker Charles De Ketelaere needed, coming in from behind to deflect the ball to teammate Hans Vanaken, who had only USA defender Tim Ream between he and the goals.
Ream did his best to get in the way but it was easy pickings for Vanaken, whose shot on target effectively sent Belgium into the quarter-finals and set up a date against Spain.
“It’s a shocker of a goal from the co-hosts’ point of view,” David Stowell said on commentary.
“The situation looked under control until it wasn’t.
“And maybe the next stage is within touching distance for Belgium now.
“A fair bit of promise at the start of the second half for the Americans, but that has vanished in an instant.”
Craig Forrest said it came at a time when the USA had arrested momentum.
“That is absolutely awful from the United States,” he said.
“They had some pressure, they looked as though they were creating some opportunities, and Matt Freese comes out and just makes an absolute mess of it, and then he’s in no man’s land, it’s just about hitting the target.
“Look at Freese; he delays, dwells on the ball, and it’s an absolute gift for Belgium to make it 3-1.
“Not the start the United States wanted in the second half.”
Stowell added: “He’s done a fair bit right for the United States in this tournament, Matt Freese, but that was a moment that went horribly wrong.”
Belgium’s all-time leading goal-scorer Romelu Lukaku then put an exclamation mark on the victory with a 93rd-minute goal to make it 4-1.
Seeking a first World Cup title, Belgium knocked the Americans out in the round of 16 for the second time in 12 years and extended their unbeaten streak to 18 games. The Red Devils play 2010 champions Spain on Friday in California for a semi-final berth against France or Morocco.
Malik Tillman levelled at 1-1 midway through the first half with his second free kick goal of the tournament, but Mauricio Pochettino’s men conceded just 61 seconds after the ensuing kick-off.
After winning three games in a World Cup for the first time in this expanded 48-nation tournament, the Americans failed in their quest to reach the quarters for the first time since 2002 and lost to Belgium for the seventh-straight time since a victory at the initial tournament in 1930. The US have dropped 11 of their past 12 games against European opponents, winning only their round-of-32 match against Bosnia-Herzegovina.
De Ketelaere put Belgium ahead in the eighth minute, the first time in this year’s World Cup the US conceded first.
Tillman’s goal in the 31st energised a largely red-white-and-blue crowd of 66,925 in Seattle, but De Ketelaere damped that and assisted on Hans Vanaken’s 57th-minute goal after Freese lost control of the ball in front of his net.
All six CONCACAF and Asian nations have now been eliminated, with the co-hosts US, Mexico and Canada all falling in the round of 16. All quarter-finalists will all come from Europe, South America and Africa.
Belgium pressed from the start and Dodi Lukebakio’s diagonal pass led to the opening goal. Leandro Troussard’s cross found its way into the penalty area, where De Ketelaere redirected the ball into an open net.
Tillman’s free kick deflected off Vanaken’s head and to the left of goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, who had dived right.
De Ketelaere outjumped Ream and headed past Freese in the 33rd minute for his eighth international goal and Belgium built a two-goal lead when Freese was tackled and Vanaken’s first-time shot from 35 yards deflected in off Ream, who tried for an off-balance clearance.
Lukaku entered in the 67th minute and scored after Belgium stripped the ball from defender Chris Richards.
With AAP
