Талбайн эзэд Бельгид 4:1-ээр буулгагдсанаар Дэлхийн аваргын шөвгийн 16-гийн шатанд тэмцээнээ өндөрлүүллээ.
Тоглолтын 9 дэх минутад Чарльз Де Кетеларе тооны харьцааг нээсэн бол Малик Тиллман 31 дэх минутад чөлөөт цохилтоор тэнцүүлсэн юм. Гэвч удалгүй Де Кетеларе Леандро Троссардын дамжуулалтыг мөргөн гоолдож Бельгийг дахин тэргүүллээд эхэлсэн. Хоёрдугаар хагаст АНУ-ын хаалгач Мэтт Фриз алдаа гаргаж, Ханс Ванакен хоосон хаалга руу гоолдсон бол тоглолтын төгсгөлд Ромелу Лукаку тооны харьцааг 4:1 болгосноор Бельги шөвгийн наймд шалгарлаа.
Даваа гарагт болсон энэхүү тоглолтод АНУ-ын шигшээ багийн ахлах дасгалжуулагч Маурисио Почеттино багийнхаа тоглолтыг хангалтгүй байсан гэдгийг хүлээн зөвшөөрөв. Тэрээр өөрийн ирээдүйн талаар одоогоор шийдвэр гараагүй байгаа бөгөөд холбооны удирдлагуудтай ойрын хугацаанд ярилцахаа мэдэгдлээ. Почеттино баг нь тэмцээний туршид өөрсдийн жинхэнэ чадвараа үзүүлж чадаагүй гэдгийг онцолсон юм.
АНУ-ын довтлогч Кристиан Пулишич тоглолтын 59 дэх минутад гэмтлийн улмаас талбайг чөлөөлөхөөс өөр аргагүйд хүрсэн. Тоглолтын дараа тэрээр шагайгаа бэртээснээ баталсан байна. Бельгийн дасгалжуулагч Руди Гарсия АНУ-ын багийн тэмцээний турш үзүүлсэн тоглолт болон Почеттиногийн ажлыг өндрөөр үнэллээ.
Дэлгэрэнгүй эх сурвалжийг харах
Эх сурвалжийг нээх ↓
SEATTLE — U.S. national team head coach Mauricio Pochettino will wait on discussions over his future after the team’s elimination from the World Cup in the round of 16.
He says “now is not the time” to talk about his role with the federation, after watching his side unravel to a Belgium side who now advance to a quarter-final against Spain.
Pochettino’s contract expires this summer and, while, as The Athletic exclusive revealed last month, U.S. Soccer offered Pochettino and his staff contract extensions before the World Cup, conversations will continue.
“In the next weeks, we can start to talk if the federation wants to talk,” Pochettino said.
“Right now, it’s about resting a little bit, to think, have conversations with the federation to see what the decision is. I’m so happy. We’ve built a very good relationship, now is not a moment to talk about (my future).”
A home World Cup that began with so much promise ends in agony after a 4-1 loss to Belgium.
The U.S. was thoroughly beaten, delivering their worst performance since March. The game was marred by sloppy mistakes and a surprising lack of intensity that had set such. a positive tone earlier in the tournament.
“Today we didn’t show our real quality as a team,” Pochettino added. “I want to congratulate Belgium, they were good. But we were not at our level, we never connected with the game. We started in a poor way and never (got into) the flow of the game.”
Forward Folarin Balogun — who became the center of a controversy when he was given a reprieve by FIFA from his red-card suspension, with President Donald J. Trump weighing in — was mostly contained by the Belgian defense.
Pochettino insisted that was not a distraction or excuse for the loss.
“We were not good enough today,” Pochettino said. “We don’t need to find another excuse. Belgium were better than us. That’s it. It’s very clear. It was really tough from the beginning. We didn’t show what normally the team will show — and that is the reality.
“I think we need to learn. It’s a process to learn. We need to assess that game, and we need to see why we didn’t approach the game in the same way as the rest of the World Cup.
“Maybe the explanation is so easy — it wasn’t our day, in the quality and individual. Of course, the principal responsible is myself and yes, we need to see and to check what we did, because it wasn’t the performance or way that normally we play.”
Charles De Ketelaere scored twice, first capitalizing on a mistake at the back in the ninth minute, when the U.S. allowed a ball to bounce in their box. He then struck again, less than two minutes after Malik Tillman’s 31st-minute free-kick equalizer.
This time, the 25-year-old outjumped and bullied veteran center back Tim Ream to head in a cross from Leandro Trossard.
The outcome was sealed midway through the second half, when goalkeeper Matt Freese made a massive mistake, coming out to win the ball outside of his box, but then giving it away horribly for an easy empty-net finish from Hans Vanaken in the 57th minute.
Romelu Lukaku, who scored in extra time against the U.S. in this round 12 years ago, capped it with a stoppage-time finish off the bench.
“I want to congratulate the U.S. team, they had a great World Cup, regardless of this last game,” Belgium head coach Rudi Garcia said, via a translator. “The national team showed a great face to the world. The head coach of this team is great, I’m not surprised with their performances at this tournament.”
Pochettino officially took over the U.S. in October of 2024. There were ups and downs leading into the World Cup, with a bit of a nadir last summer with heavy losses to Turkey and Switzerland before the Gold Cup.
“One year ago, we were in a mess,” Pochettino said. “Today, at this World Cup, we improved a lot. But sometimes you improve little by little, it’s not linear. I’m so proud.
“In one year, with all the circumstances, this team showed we can play football. We can play soccer. We can compete. We need to keep improving. A lot of players with potential, and a generation of young kids coming behind. It’s about to keep believing.”
Beyond the poor performances, last summer saw a public disagreement between Pochettino and star forward Christian Pulisic.
Pulisic asked to skip the Gold Cup to focus on being ready for a long club season ahead of the World Cup. Pochettino didn’t call him for the pre-Gold Cup friendlies, which Pulisic said he would play.
Pulisic’s World Cup started with great promise, a fantastic 45 minutes against Paraguay, but left that match at halftime with a calf injury. He missed the team’s win over Australia and, again on Monday, left the U.S. match early with an injury. He exited the Belgium match in the 59th minute with an apparent injury.
Christian Pulisic was ineffective and had to be substituted in the second half due to injury. (Carl Recine / Getty Images)
A few minutes prior, he was involved in a heavy challenge, and had a noticeable limp before exiting. Pulisic had been ineffective prior to the substitution.
The AC Milan star told Fox that he had “sprained his ankle”. “It’s just frustrating to end like that of course, but now, it’s time to rest and I’ll be OK,” he added.
“Now is not the moment to judge players,” Pochettino said when asked about Pulisic’s tournament.
Overall, Pochettino is proud of his time with the U.S. through the World Cup.
“This journey was amazing,” Pochettino said. “It’s still not even been two years at the federation. A cycle is four years. Today we closed a chapter about assessing players. Now, we have a complete assessment from a lot of players. If we commit to be here in the future, we have a clear idea about (the players). Before it was difficult. We didn’t have official games.”
The U.S. exits the tournament the same round they did in 2022, 2014 and 2010. They were the youngest team at the 2022 World Cup and all eyes shifted to 2026 when the core of the team would be in their primes.
“The legacy of the group of players and staff, is the perfect mindset now,” Pochettino added. “It’s amazing to keep growing.”
