By Rory Carroll
July 4 (Reuters) – A different kind of Monday Night Football comes to Seattle when the U.S. face Belgium for a place in the World Cup quarter-finals, with an American side carrying rising expectations into a meeting with one of Europe’s most experienced teams.
The match at the Seattle Seahawks’ home stadium, one of the loudest venues in the NFL, is expected to provide a raucous backdrop for a U.S. team whose tournament ambitions have grown with each performance.
Before the World Cup, many U.S. supporters viewed a place in the last 16 as a reasonable target.
However, wins over Paraguay and Australia in the group stage, followed by a 2-0 victory over Bosnia despite playing the final 36 minutes with 10 men, have raised hopes that Mauricio Pochettino’s side can make a deeper run on home soil.
Belgium, by contrast, have yet to fully convince.
The European side needed a late escape against Senegal, trailing for the majority of the match before scoring twice to level and then advancing after a VAR-assisted penalty decision in extra time that left Senegal frustrated.
For Belgium, the tournament may represent the final World Cup act for the country’s so-called “Golden Generation,” led by Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku and Thibaut Courtois.
The U.S. defence, regarded as a potential weakness before the tournament but impressive against Bosnia, will also likely have to contain Jeremy Doku, who is due for a breakout performance after a subdued display so far in the tournament.
US OUT FOR REVENGE
The meeting carries echoes of 2014, when Belgium knocked the U.S. out in the last 16 after extra time in Brazil, a match remembered for Tim Howard’s record-setting goalkeeping performance, making 16 saves, and a late American rally that fell just short.
This time, the U.S. will be without striker Folarin Balogun, who scored in the first half against Bosnia before receiving a red card in the second half. His suspension leaves Pochettino with a key selection decision as the Americans try to extend a campaign that has captured national attention.
“As a team we want to leave our mark on the game and a legacy behind,” U.S. midfielder Tyler Adams said.
“We know that the further we go, the more the game is going to grow.”
(Reporting by Rory Carroll in Los AngelesEditing by Christian Radnedge)
