Key events

Timely from Peter Rehwaldt: “As a pastor, I have to say ‘God help the referee for USA v Belgium.’ It’s not as if referees don’t get a lot of scrutiny in ordinary matches. It’s not as if referees don’t get more scrutiny in World Cup matches. But this is the Geopolitical World Cup (hat tip to someone at The Guardian), and never has it lived up to that moniker than in the last few days. Meanwhile, there’s an officiating crew putting on their gear tonight, testing their microphones and cameras, unfurling their flags, and wondering what the hell they are walking into.”

Hey, they should try reffing U-13 between Springfield and Arlington.

Referees and weather

The on-field crew is from Jordan, with Adham Makhadmeh taking the whistle. VAR lead is Khamis Al Marri of Qatar.

Makhadmeh is also part-Bosnian.

In this World Cup, he was the center referee for Spain 0-0 Cape Verde, New Zealand 1-5 Belgium, and England 2-1 DR Congo.

The weather in Seattle is warm but not too warm. It’s 80 degrees (27 Celsius) with a light breeze and 43% humidity, which is better than a lot of venues we’ve seen in this World Cup.

So the weather shouldn’t be a factor.

These teams met in March …

And the USA took a solid 1-0 lead. Then lost 5-2.

Following up on the matchup: If we learned one thing from the USA-Turkey game, it’s that the USA aren’t as deep as people had hoped. If Tim Ream runs out as gas in the 102nd minute, the options aren’t great. So running a fresh De Bruyne and Doku against what may be a tired three-man backline (unless Robinson – or, less likely, Dest – spend some time back there) does sound terrifying from a US perspective.

Oh yeah … the game …

Rick McGahey: “Can we give the red card fiasco a rest, granting that both FIFA and the Trump administration are about as corrupt as you can imagine. How will the US cope with de Bruyne and Tielemans in midfield and with Belgium speed on the wings, especially Doku, who will give Freeman the time of his life out there. If Dest has to drop back and provide defensive help that will weaken the US going forward, but they need to go forward fast and wide and not let the midfield get clogged up and of course we are facing the best goalkeeper in the world. There’s a lot going on with this game so let’s just drop everyone saying everything about the red card which has already been said.”

You’re figuring De Bruyne and Doku will come in during the second half, I guess, which is probably a safe bet unless there’s an injury we don’t know about.

An impromptu Q&A

Jim Forrester: “Thank you for posting Alexander Abnos’ article from two days ago. I wonder if he feels the same way now? I’m a U.S. fan and live in Seattle, but I’m so appalled by the decision to reinstate Balogun that I can’t help but hope Belgium win. I think the U.S. could have won without Balogun, but now any victory or progress in the tournament would have the stench of corruption. So disappointed…”

Alex responds: “A good question. I’ve considered the same thing in the 36 hours or so since the Balogun news dropped and all the subsequent details were revealed. And ultimately, I think I feel the same way. This government action was obviously not on par with any of the numerous atrocities committed over any number of years – but it is the same in the sense that no US soccer fan was really asking for it. And while I understand why Balogun’s inclusion and his potential influence in the game will not sit right with a lot of people, I still think the joy-producing moment he could be responsible for is still important and worth savoring and defending. So, short answer: I stand by it. But more shakily than before.

As for my piece from 15 months ago: I think the documentaries on the US team effectively humanized them. They came across as a likeable bunch. They steered clear of politics for the most part, but there was an unsubtle reference to how the USA have benefited from this country’s history as a melting pot. So the question as I see it is more along the lines of whether you think these accidental villains should succeed in reaching the pinnacle of their lives’ quests (well, maybe they’d want to win three more games) or whether the injustice of it all is too much to bear.

On a different note …

Thad: “As a gringo living on Latin America for close to a decade, I feel compelled to note that a) the US would be the last of the host countries to get through and, b) the best case for Latin American countries is that the last two remaining play each other in the quarters. I basically don’t cheer for the US these days, and will cheer for Colombia first (my adopted home) and any latino team after that, but it’s a pretty grim showing out there for a region where futbal comes in just behind religion for most people.”

Yeah, after all the upsets, we’re still looking at a very Euro quarterfinal bracket.

Pregame mail I

I’m going to start with a good bit of perspective here, pointing out that the person at the center of this controversy didn’t ask for this:

Justin Kavanagh: “I’ve cursed many an airline down the years for flights delayed, flights cancelled, luggage lost, luggage rifled through for cell phones or money … it’s a long list. But imagine the airline ire of poor Balogun tonight. His mother wasn’t allowed to fly to London 25 years ago and now the poor chap is suddenly the world’s most unpopular footballer (for at least a night), with the unsought championing of Donald Trump to wear like an albatross around his neck. This despite the fact that he is also — quite suddenly — America’s most famous birthright citizen. And all because of a flight missed decades ago, through absolutely no fault of his own. Some airline passengers, like some immigrants, have it tougher than others.”

Now … on to your rooting interests, and if you’ve noted that you’re from the USA, I’ve noted that. And yes, the sampling of email I’ve received really is this one-sided. No one’s happy here.

DW: “I’m boycotting tonight’s game; my own little protest, lol. I dearly hope Belgium wins but I won’t dignify the US by being a spectator to their shame.”

Niall Mullen: “When I was younger I feared that if America got its hands on football it would somehow ruin it. How wrong I was! I never knew the game needed to be broken up into quarters to facilitate the twin needs of hydration and end-stage capitalism. Amazing! Nor was I aware of the need to have almost endless TV cutaways to celebrities in their skyboxes, I mean wow! And most importantly I was blissfully ignorant of the need for political interference in the sporting element of the game to ensure that the host team is not inconvenienced by the so-called rules. God bless the US of A! Some might wish the USMNT all of the ill luck for their shameless collusion in the degradation of this tournament. Not me though! USA! USA! USA!”

In fairness, isn’t part of the hydration/end-stage capitalism on Fifa?

Danny Whitehead (Idaho): “There’s two things I’d love to tonight, neither of which are likely: 1) the US chooses not to select Balogun for the team on principle; or if not, 2) Belgium stick four past them, with Rudi Garcia saying in the post match interview ‘Try to overturn THAT, you Coke-swilling, Big Mac belching, tiny handed tyrant!’”

Hey, I’m from Georgia. Half of my blood stream is Coca-Cola.

Matthew Leung: “I actually like the US team, but Balogun-gate has done them absolutely no favours whatsoever and this will taint their campaign whether or not Balogun starts. Obviously I want to make clear that none of this is his fault at all and the players have had an honourable campaign on their own terms up until this point. They’re just caught in the middle of all this furore, unfortunately. It’s a shame, really, as technically I think they’re a lot better than Belgium. And an extremely politically polarized US is crying out for something positive that can unite the whole nation. But sometimes there are victories, and then there are moral victories.”

Mike Wilner (LA): “It was inevitable that Trump would get involved in the Cup at some point. He was too quiet for too long. But I really thought that he’d either: (a) grandstand at the final (like at the Club World Cup) or at a USMNT achievement; or (b) get bitchy on social media at something like an African team progressing or a USMNT flameout. I didn’t expect anything like this. Shaded in power abuse, but hinting at a legitimate correction of a bad ruling. Oooof.”

Tim Light: “Rooting for US win and Pulisic red card.”

Root for chaos!

Mary Waltz: “The Fox Sports coverage is pretending that the Trump intervention didn’t happen. Zero mention of it. They are just doing the standard hype. I want the USMNT to win. The rest of the world football press is discussing FIFA – Trump corruption. Fox is just doing the ‘look, squirrel over there’ distraction routine.”

I think you’re not alone in wandering if you can learn Spanish in the next 45 minutes.

Maximilian Vanlancker (Belgian American rooting FOR Belgium Before, Rooting against USA now): “As the football (soccer) fan in my social circle, nothing has been more aggravating than hearing from those who have watched maybe 5 games of soccer in their lives total about how the red card was totally unjustified because ‘how else was he supposed to step down and besides it clearly wasn’t intentional.’ Then I must remind them that (maybe unlike other sports, really not sure) intent isn’t the issue if the play is reckless. Over and over again. It’s been annoying but whatever. Until FIFA in all their wisdom decided that the suspension is suspended, with no real decision on the justification or not of the red card. Now I actually care. I can only hope KDB in all his moodiness finds the spark to loathe the USA like they’re Arsenal and deliver a full Strawberry Mode performance.

FWIW, I’m a ref (considerably more than five games), and I disagree with the red card. In any case, KDB is not in the SXI.

Peter Goldstein: “I was supporting the USMNT before most people even knew there was a USMNT. I was in the stands when they lost to Costa Rica and got eliminated from qualifying for Mexico 1986. But the Balogun thing is simple corruption, not even particularly interesting corruption. Rooting against the USA for the rest of the tournament.”

Drew Ellis: “I mean, whatever else Trump & Infantino have done, they’ve certainly created great theatre. What might have been an enjoyable if minor World Cup match now has more worldwide attention than any game so far. It’s even encouraging me to buy one of the delightfully floral Belgium away shirts to wear around a very pro-Belgium Vancouver.”

Kit Baker: “I work in the arts, and the way the Kennedy Center has been defiled by similarly inappropriate (and just plain obscene) interference cut deep. Parallel and equally corrupt attempts to destroy the National Endowment for the Arts have been making my blood boil. Yesterday I would have watched and hoped that the US would win – which they appeared perfectly capable of doing without Balogun – but today I hope that Belgium play them out of the park, and then some.”

Chris Connor: “Look, if Messi didn’t get a red card for his studs up challenge (FIFA of course would never red card Messi, bad for viewership and ticket sales) Balogun certainly didn’t deserve one. However, they way in which it was overturned taints the whole mess. As one of the many Americans who despises Trump this whole thing leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Furthermore, if Trump had had his way re: birthright citizenship Balogun would playing for Nigeria. It’s all terrible. FIFA needs a transparent (haha!) way of appealing bad refereeing decisions.”

John Parry: “There’s really no need to debate this. Trump has put open corruption front and centre in life in general. The fact that FIFA are hiding behind some ridiculous regulations actually makes it funny, on one level. The world will roll on. USA won’t win the WC and will forever have an asterisk against the Belgium game.”

Kevin Chauncey: “It’s depressing stuff, really. I was going to go out to watch it, even if the support around my area isn’t great. Now I’m prepping to just watch it in. To be clear: it isn’t the players’ fault here, and I wouldn’t have been mad but know it was too much to ask Poch to just sit Balogun in an overly noble statement of defiance. So now I get to support my team and be mad about it. And if that isn’t a tale as old as time, I don’t know what is. At least that lone part of football remains pure.”

Vlado: “I have to say I’m definitely not thrilled by the fact Balogun can play tonight because I really don’t like his goal celebration. LeBron and basketballs, what? Mixing two different sports is just somehow odd, at least to me. It’s my inner Larry David (“Do you respect the ball?) There, refreshingly non-political, huh?”

I remember a youth international tournament, maybe U-20s, in which the USA beat a team they weren’t expected to beat, and one of the players on the losing team taunted the USA by making a gesture as if he were shooting a basketball. Probably the wrong thing to do when you’ve just lost to a bunch of supposed basketball players.

Farhan: “My guess is USA will edge this one after Belgium play an absolute stinker. It’s not always that a striker with a cumulative 64 minutes of the club season comes good while playing for his country and the striker in question isn’t a 21 year old he was in 2014.”

And I apparently brought back a bad memory …

Daniel Stauss: “I was all set to write an unhinged screed about red cards and political machinations and yadda yadda yadda, and then you went and brought Wondo to the party. Good player, even if he was with San Jose, but wow, that whiff still stinks up the joint.”

I maintain it wasn’t the easiest of shots.

Jeff Rueter

No real surprises in the US lineup, identical to the side that beat Paraguay and Bosnia and Herzegovina. I suppose some would have preferred to see Folarin Balogun left on the bench to make a statement with an ounce of sportsmanship, but this is an elimination game.

As for Belgium, Rudi Garcia has made a massive call by leaving Kevin De Bruyne and Jeremy Doku on the bench to begin this match. One imagines his rationale is that Belgium is at its best with both men on the field, and they may be needed to endure extra-time and a possible shootout.

Then again, this US side has flown out of the gates throughout the World Cup. If Belgium is unable to slow their roll and dig themselves into an insurmountable hole, Garcia’s lineup will rightly be scrutinized.

Lineups

No surprises for the USA. Belgium moves Kevin De Bruyne, among others, to the bench.

USA: Freese; Ream, Richards, Freeman; A. Robinson, Dest; Adams, McKennie, Tillman; Pulisic, Balogun

Belgium: Courtois; De Cuyper, Ngoy, Mechele, Castagne; Raskin, Onana; Trossard, Tielemans, Lukebakio; De Ketelaere

Changes for Belgium from the 3-2 win over Senegal:

At the back, Ngoy replaces Theate
Elsewhere: Raskin, Onana and Lukebakio are in; De Bruyne, Theate, Raskin and Doku are out

Cristian Roldan is unavailable due to injury.

More about Belgium

Something the USA and Belgium have in common is that they participated in the very first World Cup in 1930. The first game in each country’s World Cup history was 3-0 win to the USA.

The Society for Soccer American History (disclaimer: of course I’m a member – it’s a great group) has posted a couple of videos about how Belgium made it to Uruguay while most European sides did not.

Interview on Belgium’s 1930 World Cup trip.

Preamble II: The controversy (and a mailbag note)

The US team and this World Cup as a whole have done a remarkable job winning over a skeptical country, if not a skeptical world.

Fifteen months ago, some Guardian writer noted that the US men’s team was underachieving and unlikeable. They weren’t lovable, scrappy underdogs out to gain respect for their team on the world stage and gain respect for their sport in the USA. They were aloof representatives of a country going through a politically fraught period.

Then the games started. Talk of visa woes gave way to feel-good stories of foreign visitors feeling welcome. (Iran’s national team may beg to differ.)

And the USA looked … good? They demolished Paraguay, a feat that looks all the more impressive after the South American side knocked out Germany and took France to the wire. They were clinical against Australia. Sure, they lost to Turkey, but they played an entertaining game with the B-side, having already clinched the group.

The win over Bosnia and Herzegovina was a team-defining moment. The knock on this team had long been that they had the talent but not the grit – hence the tendency of losing to Panama. This game showed they had both.

So bring on Belgium, right? Sure, they’ll be missing Balogun, but it’s probably a 50-50 shot at their first quarterfinal appearance in 24 years.

Then …

So now, this team that had strived to overcome its image issues (a couple of recent documentary series helped as well) is inexorably tied to a president who is disliked by roughly three-fifths of the USA and quite a few people worldwide.

And US fans can’t really feel good about the way this happened. Sure, the red card was questionable – it’s still being debated. It may depend on which you value more – the Laws of the Game or the laws of physics, which dictate that Balogun was stumbling and had to put his foot down somewhere, levitation having not yet been invented.

My social media feeds are full of people who have gone from wholeheartedly supporting this team to … not exactly rooting against them but certainly feeling a bit more lukewarm about the whole thing.

Which leads to an email request:

I expect I’ll be flooded with email before and during the game. You can help me out by using specifics in your subject line.

Some examples:

“Unhappy but still supportive”
“Rooting for Belgium now”
“The red card was wrong in the first place and Brazil 1962 blah blah” – OK, don’t use that one.

You get the idea.

Looking forward to hearing from everyone.

Preamble I: The game

In a more perfect world, we would be looking at a fascinating matchup between two teams that have been saddled with a “Golden Generation” tag.

Belgium’s “Golden Generation” more or less lived up to expectations, reaching the 2014 World Cup quarterfinals (defeating the USA in the Round of 16 – we’ll get to that) and taking third place in 2018. The players – especially Romelu Lukaku, Kevin De Bruyne, Thibaut Courtois, Axel Witsel, Jan Vertonghen, Vincent Kompany and Eden Hazard – all had glittering club careers. Lukaku, De Bruyne, Witsel and Courtois are still in the squad.

The first inklings of “Golden Generation” in the USA appeared when Christian Pulisic, already being hyped as a generational talent on par or better than Landon Donovan or Clint Dempsey, jumped into World Cup qualifying as a teenager. That team shockingly failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup. But Pulisic is the only young player from that qualifying cycle who is on the US roster today. The only other player still around, oddly enough, had already passed 30 when qualifying ended – defender Tim Ream.

More players soon emerged from Major League Soccer clubs’ nascent youth programs, such as Weston McKennie and Chris Richards from FC Dallas, and Tyler Adams and Timothy Weah from the New York Red Bulls. (Later: Alex Freeman from Orlando City.) All of them followed Pulisic to Europe at a young age and have had moderately successful careers – not on the level of a De Bruyne or a Kompany but solid contributors on top European sides.

Others joined from the time-honored pipelines that have supplemented the US national team through the years – players born and developed in Europe but eligible for US citizenship. Sergiño Dest from the Netherlands. Malik Tillman from Germany. Antonee Robinson from England. And most recently, Folarin Balogun from England. (See Preamble II in a few minutes.)

Both teams got here with gutsy performances in the Round of 32. Belgium trailed Senegal 2-0 in the 85th minute. The USA dug deep to hang on to a 2-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina despite a red card to Balogun. (We’ll get to it!)

And yes, it’s a rematch of the 2014 round of 16 game in which the USA took Belgium to extra time thanks to Tim Howard’s instantly memed 16 saves. It would be a stretch to say the USA played well enough to merit a victory in that game, but they did have a chance late in regulation that would have netted them an improbable quarterfinal berth.

Tim Howard saves the day. And many others.

That chance wasn’t a “sitter.” Get off Chris Wondolowski’s back. The guy had a great career.

So it’s the kind of matchup that makes the World Cup great. This game could end with Belgium claiming their third quarterfinal berth in four World Cups. Or it could be one of the biggest wins in US history.

Exciting, isn’t it? Now … did something happen to upstage these compelling storylines?

Jeff Rueter

The last time the United States played in Seattle was their 2-0 win over Australia to clinch Group D in just two games. The scenes afterwards quickly became the stuff of US Soccer legend, with tens of thousands sticking around to belt out Take Me Home, Country Roads by John Denver.

John Denver was a fierce advocate for hunger relief, nature conservation, and global peace. For many, there’s a sense of relief that the songs you know by heart were written by someone with such a worldview.

Utopian, yet quintessentially American. These concepts weren’t always at odds. A World Cup has the rare power to get people of diverse backgrounds to unite – “Of all the unimportant things, football is the most important” as the expression goes. In the hours before the US kicked off their games against Paraguay and Australia, it wasn’t hard to spot handshakes and toasts of ludicrously overpriced lager between opposing fans.

Which is where the simplicity of Country Roads becomes quite clever, distilling that complex and cosmopolitan worldview to its briefest mission statement in unapologetic crescendo: Take me home to the place I belong. The same promise that pulled all of our immigrant ancestors stateside, that my colleagues from abroad are relieved to still recognize as they go about their coverage, soundtracked and sung at the height of the chorus.

Jeff Rueter

Maybe US Soccer put Folarin Balogun up to speak too soon, fielding questions in the wake of his send-off and before his reinstatement. Nonetheless, it’s worth revisiting his initial thoughts on what he called a “surreal” couple of days after the last-32 win…

Folarin Balogun fielded questions on the morning of his 25th birthday, though the cards being discussed weren’t filled with kind notes and two-dollar bills.

“I’ve been upset. I’ve been happy,” Balogun said of his past 36 hours. “It’s been surreal, to be honest. But for me, I think it was just important to stay calm. I never want to react out of anger and out of emotion. There’s still lots of people we’re inspiring, little kids, boys and girls who are watching, and we have to show them the correct way to handle things, even when you think it’s unjust.”

Balogun said he still made a point of shaking referee Raphael Claus’s hand after the match despite believing the decision was wrong, saying it was important to set the right example for supporters watching the tournament, many of whom may be experiencing the World Cup for the first time.

“Even though you can feel like something unjust has happened to you, it’s not an excuse to be disrespectful,” Balogun said. “After every game, I try to shake the referee’s hand, and this game was no different.”

Matt Hughes

Perhaps the only globally renowned figure who has been more conspicuous by his absence at this World Cup tournament than Donald Trump is the Uefa president, Aleksander Ceferin, although both men have more than made up for their silence over the past 24 hours.

By endorsing a statement in which Uefa accused Fifa of crossing “a red line” in making the “incomprehensible and unjustifiable” decision to lift the USA striker Folarin Balogun’s suspension for the last-16 tie with Belgium on Monday, Ceferin has effectively put European football on a war footing with the world governing body, a dramatic move that could have major implications for the future of the sport.

Jonathan Wilson

The whiff of unfulfilment lingers around Belgium. The Golden Generation – and the fact it never quite achieved what it might have done – has dominated coverage of their last three tournaments.

This squad seems cursed to be judged against the standards of two World Cups ago, somehow blamed for not being as good as their predecessors and at the same time damned for those predecessors’ failure to convert talent into silverware.

Pablo Iglesias Maurer

Asking any of us to believe that Fifa is not influenced by Donald Trump is an absurdity. It is tantamount to asking us to believe he was awarded its “peace prize” on merit alone. Infantino’s relationship with Trump has long been a cozy one, a mutually beneficial symbiosis where Trump gets the type of sycophantic praise and attention he thrives on and Infantino gets the keys to the biggest commercial market in the world for Fifa’s cash cow.

What Trump does not realize – or perhaps he simply doesn’t care – is that he has done the whole of American soccer no favors by putting his thumb on the scales.

The USMNT have reached their current station in the tournament on their own merits, riding three exceptional performances and one bang average one to the last 16. Balogun has been arguably the their best player throughout that run.

Yet even without the Monaco striker, there was no shortage of pundits and oddsmakers pegging the US as likely to win against Belgium. The perception the US have been handed an unfair advantage here – they have, to be clear – taints their potential advancement. This is true in the States, but much more so globally where Trump has become the latest in a long line of ugly Americans who are perceived, fairly or unfairly, to have expected preferential treatment.

Alexander Abnos

Mauricio Pochettino hailed Fifa’s shock decision to suspend Folarin Balogun’s one-game ban on Sunday, reiterating his claim that the call to issue the US striker a red card was harsh.

“Everyone that really loves the sport and trusts ethics and integrity, I think we celebrate all that decision,” Pochettino said. “We were punished enough against Bosnia Herzegovina to play with 10 men for 30 minutes [because of] a decision that was completely unfair. … 99.9% of people agree there was an unfair red card.”

Jeff Rueter

As a Fifa media officer read aloud the statement confirming the governing body’s shock reversal of US striker Folarin Balogun’s suspension on Sunday, Belgium coach Rudi Garcia and goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois put their poker faces to work. Garcia stared straight down the aisle of the press conference room at Seattle Stadium. Courtois’s eyes fluttered about, perhaps masking some rolls as he faced a press pack eager to make sense of an unexpected World Cup twist.

Balogun’s reinstatement came across as a joke to the Belgian boss, though he hardly seemed ready for a laugh.

“I didn’t know that 5 July was equal to 1 April [April Fools’ Day] at Fifa,” Garcia said in his native French. “I think we should refer to the [statement] of my federation, the Belgian federation. I think a lot of things are in it. The federation does not defend itself, it does not defend the national team – it defends football in general. It defends its integrity. It defends its ethics.”

Jeff Rueter

Through four games, Belgium have retained 57% of possession with a 65% field tilt – a possession metric weighing only final-third touches – but haven’t found a way to maximize that advantage.

While possession can be a noisy statistic, viewing it in stylistic terms can be informative. So far at this World Cup, Belgium have won the possession battle in all four of their games, with Senegal playing them closest in a 52-48 split. The United States have maintained a 58% share of the ball in their four games, neck-and-neck with Garcia’s Belgium. If Mauricio Pochettino’s side can keep the ball off Belgian feet more often than not, it could unsettle the Red Devils.

Senegal nearly beat Belgium by using width, quickly getting the ball to their wingers and creating overloads by having full-backs join the attack.

Alexander Abnos

A raucous, pro-US crowd is expected in Seattle for the Americans’ last-16 match against Belgium on Monday, but the Red Devils say that they don’t fear the atmosphere that will await them.

“I think we just have to … show balls on the pitch,” left-back Maxim De Cuyper said on Friday. “Try to play your own game. If you play against 80,000 supporters or with 80,000, you have to try to do the same.”

Alexander Abnos

To longtime US soccer fans, the question of whether to support this particular team at this particular time is barely a question. Or if it is one, it’s vaguely along the lines of “should I breathe?”

But there are plenty of newcomers along for the ride now, who may only watch the team at a World Cup, if ever. Within this group, it stands to reason that plenty will be uncomfortable with the idea of supporting a US national sports team at all. I can hardly blame them.

If you’re looking for a reason to support the US men’s national team, I beg of you, look out your window. If there is a moment of triumph to be had when the team play Belgium, there will probably be thousands upon thousands of people in your immediate vicinity experiencing the purest joy that one can feel; the kind only sports can deliver with regularity. They will be your neighbors and friends, your co-workers, the clerk at the grocery store, the kitchen staff at your favorite restaurant. They have been in your life before this US run. And they will be there after.

Jeff Rueter

While Malik Tillman was unsure what to expect from the United States’ last-32 clash with Bosnia and Herzegovina, he certainly must have assumed he would finish the game with his boots intact.

Fifteen minutes after swapping his ripped right boot, his new shoe made its mark. Playing down a man after Balogun’s red card, the US won a free-kick just beyond the edge of the box. After consulting with Antonee Robinson, Tillman hit a pearl of a free-kick over the Bosnia and Herzegovina wall and into the net.

Tillman’s technique on his free-kick goal against Bosnia was sublime. Tillman became just the second player in USMNT history to score from a direct free-kick at a World Cup, joining Eric Wynalda’s loop in 1994.

Jeff Rueter

Fifa has released a pair of statements in the wake of its change in handling Folarin Balogun’s red-card punishment. The latest is a 13-point defense of its operation, distancing itself from the influence of Donald Trump and adding a $40,000 fine to Balogun’s bill. Capology estimates that Balogun earns $70,856 (€61,923) per week with AS Monaco.

“Under Article 27 of the [Fifa Disciplinary Code], the FIFA Disciplinary Committee has the discretion to suspend the implementation of any disciplinary measures so long as they do not relate to match manipulation—which, of course, did not occur here. … Said suspension of the implementation was decided considering all of the specific circumstances surrounding the incident and evidence available.”

Ella Brockway

We could see another record viewership for this World Cup version of Monday night football…

The United States’ last-32 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina had an average of 24.429 million viewers on Fox, making it the most-watched English-language soccer broadcast in US history. The Fox telecast peaked at 31.883 million. Telemundo, which holds the Spanish language rights to World Cup broadcasts in the US, reported 9.1 million viewers over the total game window.

This year’s NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs – which had their highest audience in nearly three decades – averaged an audience of 20.5 million, with Game 5 averaging 24.5 million and peaking at 33 million. The final game of last year’s World Series averaged 27.3 million viewers in the US.

Pablo Iglesias Maurer

As we prepare for our fifth US match, it has to be stressed: the red-and-white, “wavy flag” themed kits the USMNT have sported this summer are quite possibly the most popular shirts the US has ever worn. They are absolutely, positively everywhere, seen in far greater numbers than the other fan favorites of the past — the “Waldos,” the “Bomb Pops,” etc …

Ironically, the second-most frequently spotted kits this summer are easily Adidas’ old “Denim Kits” from 1994, which were always a curiosity to see in years past. Adidas re-released them ahead of this summer’s tournament, and they’ve sold thousands upon thousands of them. You love to see it.

Alexander Abnos

It must be said: it’s an absolutely gorgeous day here in the Pacific Northwest. It’s warm – but not too warm – and bright – but not too bright. There’s a pleasant breeze coming in off the Puget Sound. The pre-match gatherings outside are lively and the concourses are already teeming with people hours before kickoff.

A perfect day for a game.

Jeff Rueter

Prelude

From the moment the United States secured a place in the last-16, the prevailing narrative seemed to focus on a chance for redemption. Belgium prevailed when these teams met at an identical stage of 2014, with Romelu Lukaku running rampant through Jürgen Klinsmann’s team as Tim Howard put in a performance for the ages to try keeping his team in the match.

Sunday threw everyone a shock as reports emerged that Fifa had elected to suspend Folarin Balogun’s one-match ban that customarily accompanies a red-card ejection. As the day progressed, the tone of the discourse shifted from one of justice being served – it really was more of a yellow-card offense, most admitted from the moment of contact – to growing unease about the manner of the about-face. Not only was this a break from generations-long custom, but it was done in a way that reeked of entitlement. No matter how strongly Donald Trump was able to twist Gianni Infantino’s arm, the crack team of lawyers assembled by US Soccer took an unprecedented step to pore through Fifa’s rulebook for loopholes. Not very sporting, is it.

In truth, Mauricio Pochettino – who stressed he had no knowledge of US Soccer’s machinations in his Sunday press availability – could have gotten his team up for a result against this Belgium side without the legal defense. The United States have been one of the most in-form sides at this World Cup, enthralling in attack and unexpectedly sound with their defensive structure. Belgium arrives in a weakened state than it was in 2014, lacking a clear attacking focal point and failing to turn considerable possession into dangerous chances.

Whether Balogun starts or not will undoubtedly be the main narrative once the lineups drop in an hour or so. Until then, let’s catch up on all of our coverage from the last few days – both about the relitigated red card and on-field matters.

Beau will be here shortly. In the meantime, here’s a look at this matchup from Graham Ruthven’s daily guide:

What to watch for

The USA are playing like a Pochettino team. Their attacking verve and energy have made the co-hosts one of the most exciting sides to watch at this World Cup, although defeat to Belgium would prompt a sense of deja vu after last-16 exits in 2010, 2014 and 2022.

Belgium got the better of the USA at the same stage of the 2014 World Cup, but the country’s so-called golden generation has faded (or altogether disappeared) since then. Rudi Garcia’s side have toiled throughout this summer’s tournament and can’t be relied upon to create goalscoring opportunities. This is a big chance for the USA.

Player to watch: Folarin Balogun, USA – After his one-game red-card ban was suspended by Fifa, Balogun will once again be the USA’s biggest threat in the attacking third. The Monaco striker is enjoying a breakout tournament.

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See more: The Global Track

Corinthia Mes