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Team USA did not have the first-half start they were hoping for against Belgium in the Round of 16, and head coach Mauricio Pochettino displayed some rightful frustration because of it.
Belgium sent a shock to the USA system not even 10 minutes into the match when Charles De Ketelaere tapped in a ball served right in front of Matt Freese’s net and sent a silent murmur over the sold-out Seattle Stadium crowd.
But things felt back to normal when Malik Tillman, who scored a free kick in the second half against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Round of 32, did it again. Tillman buried his shot past legendary Belgian keeper Thibaut Courtois thanks to a deflection off one of Belgium’s defenders.
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That was in the 31st minute, but Pochettino’s display of frustration came after the U.S. conceded their second goal just two minutes later.
It was De Ketelaere once again, this time leaping over veteran defender Tim Ream and using his head to place the ball in the back of the net.
As Belgium celebrated, Pochettino walked over to his bench and let out his displeasure with what he just witnessed on the pitch with a right boot to the Powerade bottles on the ground.
That’s the type of half it was for Team USA, which went into halftime with a lot to go over before the second half begins.
While possession was relatively close – Belgium owned it 53% to the USMNT’s 47% — it was clear the Belgians had the advantage in the offensive end. They finished the half with five shots on goal to just one from the U.S. They also created four big chances, meaning this game could’ve been a lot further away for the U.S. than the scoreboard says at the moment.
The USMNT will need better play all around if they wish to move on to the quarterfinals to meet Spain and keep their World Cup title dreams alive. If they can do so, they would become just the second team in U.S. history to get it done, as only the squad in 2002 was able to reach the quarterfinals in this modern FIFA World Cup format.
Pochettino may let out more frustrations in the locker room, but it’s clear the manager might have to get clever with Belgium owning the momentum after the first 45 minutes.
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