Analyzing Belgium, the US men’s team’s round of 16 opponent in the World Cup

The United States men’s national team will meet a familiar foe in the round of 16 on Monday evening in Seattle.

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Twelve years after being knocked out in a thriller in the round of 16, the Americans renew acquaintances with Belgium.

For the United States, its a chance to advance to the World Cup quarterfinals for the second time in history and first since 2002.

Here’s a look at Belgium’s tournament run, past history, best players, and how they’ve done against the United States in the past.

Well, it has certainly been a roller coaster.

The Red Devils opened this World Cup with a listless 1-1 draw against Egypt, only scoring on an own goal. Nathan Ngoy picked up a red card in the 66th minute of another lackluster draw, when they split the points with Iran. Belgium blew out New Zealand, the lowest-rated team in the tournament, to win Group G.

Then, the Red Devils executed a comeback that had to be seen to believed.

Trailing 2-0 to Senegal late in the second half, it looked like another disappointing, early exit for the Belgians. Lukaku found the back of the net in the 86th minute, cutting into the deficit. Three minutes later, captain Youri Tielemans equalized, improbably forcing extra time.

Tielemans converted a controversial penalty kick in the 125th minute, sealing Belgium’s last-gasp advancement.

An aging yet experienced core serves as the heartbeat for the Red Devils. Kevin De Bruyne, one of the most skilled passers of his generation, pulls the strings in the midfield. Thibaut Courtois, an elite shot stopper, is between the posts. Veteran striker Romelu Lukaku, who has 92 goals in 130 matches for his country, has played 178 minutes across four matches in this World Cup and has been involved in three goals.

Left winger Jeremy Doku blends speed and precision. A handful for any defender, Doku’s explosiveness adds an irreplaceable dimension to the Red Devils attack. Doku plays across from Leandro Trossard, 31, who is in form this tournament with two goals and an assist.

Under coach Rudi Garcia, the Red Devils have lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in all four World Cup matches.

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The Red Devils, ranked ninth in the pre-tournament FIFA world rankings, have appeared in the World Cup 15 times, finishing as high as third in 2018. From September 2018 to February 2022, Belgium was the top-rated team in the world.

In 2022, the Red Devils were bounced in the group stage, a shocking result for a country of their stature.

Courtois is Belgium’s all-time leader in World Cup appearances, with 19 across four tournaments.

The United States won the first meeting between the teams, coincidentally in the United States’ first ever World Cup match, a 3-0 victory in 1930.

The Belgians have won the next six meetings. The Red Devils prevailed in their most recent match, a 5-2 walloping on March 28 in a friendly in Atlanta.

That match went to halftime knotted at one apiece, but four goals inside of 30 minutes in the second half sealed the Americans fate. At that time, it signaled that the United States still couldn’t hang with European giants.

Now, it’s an opportunity to prove how good this US group is under coach Mauricio Pochettino.

The most high profile match between the two nations was an all-time classic.

Belgium eliminated the United States in the 2014 World Cup in the round of 16. De Bruyne and Lukaku each scored in the first half of extra time in a 2-1 win. Tim Howard put on a legendary performance, making 16 saves and Chris Wondolowski airmailed a golden opportunity in the 92nd minute that could have re-written American soccer history.

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