Looking for some offense... Belgium 5 Shots on goal vs. 1 for USA on a free kick

[winonsports]

The drive by posters are certainly making their presence known after this game.

[mjg]

The fact they gave Doku just a run out and De Bruyne rested speaks volumes.

I don't think so. It appears to be strategic and fitness related. The player on Belgium's left has been playing well and per the internet, Doku has missed training due to illness and the birth of his child. Additionally, Garcia likes Doku as an impact substitute. Also, per the internet their were fitness concerns with De Bruyne prior to the game.

[IsDurbanodoingtime]

Let's be clear this US team just got dominated by another European team that did not even rely on three of it's so-called tip players. Doku and Lukaku were slotted in after they were well in the lead. Garcia did not even see the need to play De Bruyne. Let that sink in. I like Poch but the narrative that this team is on the cusp - let's rein that in a little.

Lukaku is far from Belgium's top player - the striker they started is more dynamic/active and actually plays for his club team. Lukaku was deemed either unfit or surplus to requirements last season. De Bruyne is more load management that anything else. Not sure on Doku. The US was certainly outplayed, but the players that started for Belgium aren't amateurs.

I never said they were amateurs. Just that they won pretty handily without having to rely /use three of their top players - guys that they have otherwise relied upon heavily in this tourney. Yes. Lukaku has been injured and out of form and not their top player ( although still in that group - notice my use of the term so-called) . He is their top scorer still at this tourney and pulled their (donkey) out of the fire against Senegal when De Ketelaere was ineffective. He started in the number 9 position against Iran but has otherwise come off the bench in all of their games. Yes he and De ketelaere are teammates at Atalanta but unlike Lukaku De Ketelaera is not a true number 9 but more an attacking middie. And he certainly worked out yesterday. Doku is a stud who plays regularly as well at Man City who Garcia held back and De Bruyne is still their best player yet aging generational talent. Load management? Perhaps. De Brune played the full 90 minutes in their first round games and ubbed out after 60 against Senegal. The game plan was to hold these guys in reserve for the second half - they just were not needed - which was my original point.

[todd-parker]

USMNT hasn't beaten Belgium in a match since 1930.

No goals for Christian Pulisic in this tournament.

All 3 host countries are now out.

This supposed new look iterarion of US soccer has beaten only one UEFA team in the last 4 years or so and that was Bosnia twice. They played Turkey and Belgium collectively 4 times in the last 12 months - 4 losses. Smoked by Switzerland and Germany in warm ups. An improved product under Poch but still a ways to go. The are lucky that their wc qualification is in a region as weak as concacaf. If they played in a region with the quality of conmebol or uefa their wc appearances would be few and far between (unless they are hosting).

Let's also not forget that the 2026 World Cup had an expanded field so the US got to play a Group 3rd Place team (Bosnia) in the first knock-out round and some of the lower-ranked teams may not even have made the tournament.

[winonsports]

Let's also not forget that the 2026 World Cup had an expanded field so the US got to play a Group 3rd Place team (Bosnia) in the first knock-out round and some of the lower-ranked teams may not even have made the tournament.

Only somebody who was looking forward to a result like this doesn't want to forget and will continue a viral effort to not let others.

[icon]

USMNT hasn't beaten Belgium in a match since 1930.

No goals for Christian Pulisic in this tournament.

All 3 host countries are now out.

This supposed new look iterarion of US soccer has beaten only one UEFA team in the last 4 years or so and that was Bosnia twice. They played Turkey and Belgium collectively 4 times in the last 12 months - 4 losses. Smoked by Switzerland and Germany in warm ups. An improved product under Poch but still a ways to go. The are lucky that their wc qualification is in a region as weak as concacaf. If they played in a region with the quality of conmebol or uefa their wc appearances would be few and far between (unless they are hosting).

Let's also not forget that the 2026 World Cup had an expanded field so the US got to play a Group 3rd Place team (Bosnia) in the first knock-out round and some of the lower-ranked teams may not even have made the tournament.

Yeah, Bosnia was a joke. The US team just was not ready to play a team with the caliber of Belgium.

[BalotelliMassive]

Let's also not forget that the 2026 World Cup had an expanded field so the US got to play a Group 3rd Place team (Bosnia) in the first knock-out round and some of the lower-ranked teams may not even have made the tournament.

It has to be like this - Yugoslavia used to be one team but when they split they turned into Montenegro, Serbia, Bosnia, Croatia, Slovenia, Macedonia and Kosovo. The USSR crashed and created Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.

It was long overdue.

[Rosthol]

The fact they gave Doku just a run out and De Bruyne rested speaks volumes.

I don't think so. It appears to be strategic and fitness related. The player on Belgium's left has been playing well and per the internet, Doku has missed training due to illness and the birth of his child. Additionally, Garcia likes Doku as an impact substitute. Also, per the internet their were fitness concerns with De Bruyne prior to the game.

So I saw where he left camp for the birth of his child.

Couldn’t find anything about an illness though.?

His child was born back in June right?

[winonsports]

It has to be like this - Yugoslavia used to be one team but when they split they turned into Montenegro, Serbia, Bosnia, Croatia, Slovenia, Macedonia and Kosovo. The USSR crashed and created Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.

It was long overdue.

Africa has 50+ nations now. They were 10 of the 48 and 9 of the 32.

[IsDurbanodoingtime]

Let's also not forget that the 2026 World Cup had an expanded field so the US got to play a Group 3rd Place team (Bosnia) in the first knock-out round and some of the lower-ranked teams may not even have made the tournament.

It has to be like this - Yugoslavia used to be one team but when they split they turned into Montenegro, Serbia, Bosnia, Croatia, Slovenia, Macedonia and Kosovo. The USSR crashed and created Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.

It was long overdue.

A unified Yugoslavian team in theory would now be a juggernaut given the individual talent amongst those nations and you would think back then it should have been also. But the minority animosity that existed caused the team to be top heavy with serbs which greatly diminished the talent pool despite Tito's attempts to enforce unity. Serbia vs. Croatia games are warfare (on the field and in the stands) as are Kosovo matches.

[Rosthol]

Yugoslavia would be a powerhouse.