The United States' World Cup dreams came to a crashing halt in the last 16 against Belgium on Monday as Charles De Ketelaere scored twice in a 4-1 win overshadowed by FIFA's controversial decision to suspend US forward Folarin Balogun's ban.
Balogan was permitted to play, despite receiving a red card against Bosnia and Herzegovina, after US President Donald Trump's unprecedented intervention but he barely had an impact on the pitch. The 25-year-old forward did win the free kick which led to a first-half equaliser, though Belgium's Nicolas Raskin said the perceived injustice had actually motivated Balogun's opponents.
"I think there was always justice somewhere in life and the fact that something can happen like that ... but we don't think that was fair," Raskin said.
US coach Mauricio Pochettino said the row had not affected his team and attributed their poor performance to an off-day against a top side.
"We were not good enough today, we don't need to find another excuse ... I think it wasn't a situation that affects us," he told reporters.
US defeat ends co-hosts' involvement
De Ketelaere gave Belgium the lead in the ninth minute with a simple tap-in, taking full advantage of a nervous start by the US to quickly deflate the partisan crowd.
Malik Tillman's deflected free kick levelled the game in the 31st minute, but De Ketelaere restored Belgium's lead almost immediately with a back-post header.
The US improved after the break until a calamitous error from goalkeeper Matt Freese allowed substitute Hans Vanaken to score in the 57th minute.
Romelu Lukaku then added a fourth in added time to send US fans streaming for the exits and Belgium into the quarter-finals for the third time in the last four World Cups. They will play European champions Spain in Los Angeles on Friday.
The US defeat means all three co-hosts are out of the tournament, after Canada and Mexico lost their last-16 games.
"In the moments that we were doing well (in the tournament), we felt amazing," US midfielder Tyler Adams said.
"And then obviously, an opportunity like today, we didn't grasp it – and it's gonna sting."
Balogun lacks impact for US
The US struggled with Belgium's intensity from the start and, with the crowd still going through their first chant of "U-S-A!", Timothy Castagne forced Freese into a fingertip save.
Youri Tielemans fluffed an early chance but the US did not learn their lesson and De Ketelaere tapped home Raskin's cross after the hosts failed to clear their lines.
Belgium's momentum was stalled by Amadou Onana's early injury, which coach Rudi Garcia said may end the midfielder's tournament.
The hydration break came at a good time for the US and they got a slice of luck with Tillman's equaliser, but swiftly conceded another cheap goal to cede the initiative once more.
Any hopes of a comeback were then shattered when Freese dawdled on the ball out of his goal and gave Vanaken an open goal, before Lukaku bagged his seventh career World Cup goal and 93rd for Belgium late on, 12 years after he scored against the US in another last-16 victory.
Despite their exit, Pochettino said the future was bright for the US squad and the Argentinian coach also suggested he wanted to continue.
"I think now ... it's (time to) rest a little bit, to think, to have conversations, and then see what the decision is from the federation and from us," he added. "But I am so happy."
