4 Takeways From the USA's Loss Pre-World Cup Friendly Loss to Belgium
📖 Full Retelling
Mercedes-Benz Stadium (ATLANTA) — The United States men's national team impressed early against Belgium. Then the wheels fell off. A first-half lead in Saturday’s high-profile World Cup warmup match against Belgium — FIFA’s No. 9 ranked squad — melted away as the UA conceded four straight goals in front of a heavily pro-USA crowd of 66,867 fans at the home of the Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United. Weston McKennie put coach Mauricio Pochettino’s team ahead in the 39th minute by deftly redirecting an Antonee Robinson corner kick past Belgian goalkeeper Senne Lammens. The visitors equalized before the first half was over, though, when fullback Zeno Debast’s low rocket flew through a sea of bodies, past the outstretched hand of USA keeper Matt Turner and into the bottom corner of the net. Belgium got another shortly after the break, then scored three more as they ran away with the second-to-last match before Pochettino must select his final 26-player World Cup roster, though the Americans did pull one back late via second half substitute Patrick Agyemang. Here are my takeaways: 1. USA Faltered In the Second Half Pochettino’s side entered the match on a three-match winning streak, all against World Cup-bound foes. But Belgium is better than any of those teams by some distance. Still, the USA matched them almost evenly in the first half, even if the guests had almost 60 percent of possession and one more shot on target. Only a brilliant (and lucky) save by Senne Lammens on McKennie's earlier shot in the opening stanza kept the game scoreless almost until the intermission. With former Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne and current Man City star forward Jeremy Doku leading coach Rudi Garcia’s attack, Belgium tested a USA backline missing injured center back Chris Richards repeatedly, mostly to no avail. Central midfielders Tanner Tessmann and Johnny Cardoso covered when fullbacks Robinson and Tim Weah bombed forward, repeatedly frustrating the Red Devils. Tim Ream
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Mercedes-Benz Stadium (ATLANTA) — The United States men's national team impressed early against Belgium. Then the wheels fell off. A first-half lead in Saturday’s high-profile World Cup warmup match against Belgium — FIFA’s No. 9 ranked squad — melted away as the UA conceded four straight goals in front of a heavily pro-USA crowd of 66,867 fans at the home of the Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United. Weston McKennie put coach Mauricio Pochettino’s team ahead in the 39th minute by deftly redirecting an Antonee Robinson corner kick past Belgian goalkeeper Senne Lammens. The visitors equalized before the first half was over, though, when fullback Zeno Debast’s low rocket flew through a sea of bodies, past the outstretched hand of USA keeper Matt Turner and into the bottom corner of the net. Belgium got another shortly after the break, then scored three more as they ran away with the second-to-last match before Pochettino must select his final 26-player World Cup roster, though the Americans did pull one back late via second half substitute Patrick Agyemang. Here are my takeaways: 1. USA Faltered In the Second Half Pochettino’s side entered the match on a three-match winning streak, all against World Cup-bound foes. But Belgium is better than any of those teams by some distance. Still, the USA matched them almost evenly in the first half, even if the guests had almost 60 percent of possession and one more shot on target. Only a brilliant (and lucky) save by Senne Lammens on McKennie's earlier shot in the opening stanza kept the game scoreless almost until the intermission. With former Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne and current Man City star forward Jeremy Doku leading coach Rudi Garcia’s attack, Belgium tested a USA backline missing injured center back Chris Richards repeatedly, mostly to no avail. Central midfielders Tanner Tessmann and Johnny Cardoso covered when fullbacks Robinson and Tim Weah bombed forward, repeatedly frustrating the Red Devils. Tim Ream
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