Belgium produced a dominant display to defeat the United States 4-1 on Monday and book a World Cup quarter-final clash with Spain.
Charles De Ketelaere scored twice, while Hans Vanaken and substitute Romelu Lukaku also found the net to seal an emphatic victory in Seattle.
The match was overshadowed by the controversy surrounding US striker Folarin Balogun, whose suspension was lifted by FIFA before the game.
Belgium captain Youri Tielemans said the decision united the squad, saying, “We told ourselves we needed to do our talking on the pitch. That’s what we did today.”
US coach Mauricio Pochettino admitted his side fell well below their usual standard, describing it as “a very bad day.”
De Ketelaere opened the scoring before Malik Tillman briefly equalised, but Belgium restored their lead just two minutes later through another De Ketelaere goal.
Vanaken extended the advantage after a costly mistake by goalkeeper Matt Freese, before Lukaku added a fourth goal in stoppage time.
The defeat ended the United States’ hopes of reaching their first World Cup quarter-final in 24 years, while Belgium advanced in convincing fashion.
