Game report of USMNT vs Belgium this past March.
We got blown out!
It was 5-1 before we got one by sub Patrick Agyemang in the 87th minute.

https://www.espn.com/soccer/match/_/gameId/762258/belgium-united-states

sycasey said:

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Cal88 said:

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I can post other similar plays that were not awarded red. In fact, I already did. Just not consistent with how the game and the tournament had been officiated to this point.

A still frame is also a poor argument. Here's the full video. Doesn't look like any intent to foul here, mostly two guys going for the ball and someone accidentally gets stepped on.

Another look at the red card on USMNT striker Folarin Balogun.
pic.twitter.com/OQlwf08Bmj

— USMNT Only (@usmntonly) July 2, 2026

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Yeah, Messi's tackle against Algeria also was a clear red, he got away with murder.

The video confirms it was a reckless challenge at the very least, contact started near the back of the knee and he slid his foot down his calf to the ankle, could have easily snapped the Bosnian's ankle.

Folarin Balogun is shown a red card. Pessi Not FIFA Princess pic.twitter.com/hA4VipybTe

— Thomas Syrotic (@TomSyex1) July 2, 2026

sluggo said:

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The Bosnian 11. Someone on the internet said this is a park the bus lineup, so it must be true. 40-year-old Dzeko is still scary.

🚨 𝗢𝗙𝗙𝗜𝗖𝗜𝗔𝗟: Bosnia XI in the World Cup Round of 32 game vs. United States! 🇧🇦💫 pic.twitter.com/jAtrsXX04K

— The Touchline | 𝐓 (@TouchlineX) July 1, 2026

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When their subs came in at 50', Stu golden said they were removing defenders and putting in offensive guys they initially thought would be starters.

Maybe Bosnia should have gone for it from the start more.

DiabloWags said:

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We are the hottest country in the World right now.
How could we lose?
Why not us?

HAPPY 250th ANNIVERSARY!

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Even Bangor Maine

Big C said:

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sycasey said:

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Cal88 said:

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I can post other similar plays that were not awarded red. In fact, I already did. Just not consistent with how the game and the tournament had been officiated to this point.

A still frame is also a poor argument. Here's the full video. Doesn't look like any intent to foul here, mostly two guys going for the ball and someone accidentally gets stepped on.

Another look at the red card on USMNT striker Folarin Balogun.
pic.twitter.com/OQlwf08Bmj

— USMNT Only (@usmntonly) July 2, 2026

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If you go by the slow motion replay it looks horrible. They were talking about the possibility of him getting even more than one game. That said, I have no idea what should get a red card and what shouldn't. I seriously doubt there was intent.

Speaking of being a "casual", here's my hot take from the game:

Historically, I've always thought the USMNT has played like they're newbies at soccer, compared to the rest of the world... until today. A third of the game with only ten players and they increase their lead. Are you kidding me?

Cal88, if you have any good jokes about Belgians, the next few days are the time to break them out!

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To me that should be yellow. Dangerous contact yes but clearly accidental. If anything the Bosnian player makes contact with Balogun first and the feet get tangled up. If it's a red then Messi should also have gotten a red for that earlier play I posted. It wasn't even called a foul.

But yeah, there seems to be something different in the character of this USMNT. Might be a bit flowery to say, but it feels like we are playing with something more like the national American spirit? Aggressive, open, creative, always threatening to score. Even a man down we keep pushing.

sycasey said:

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But yeah, there seems to be something different in the character of this USMNT. Might be a bit flowery to say, but it feels like we are playing with something more like the national American spirit? Aggressive, open, creative, always threatening to score. Even a man down we keep pushing.

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The differences are:

Dest back from injury and played as an attacking winger like pulisic. He's got moves like jagger.

Jedi Robinson also back. He's very very fast.

Chris Richards is also back from injury.

Adams is also back from injury. I know not everyone loves him but he is a long time starter and hasn't done anything stupid so far.

Balogun is in fine form!

Finally, we've played 4 beatable teams. Because we got a top seed as host and because of expansion to 48 teams. No group of death and we just played a 3rd seed which would have been eliminated before.

Monday will be the first big test. And sometimes that's all you get. World Cup happens too fast. Why I support expansion. One more round.

PS: the RB is a 21 year old newcomer. Freeman. Son of NFL star WR.

sycasey said:

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concordtom said:

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Game report of USMNT vs Belgium this past March.
We got blown out!
It was 5-1 before we got one by sub Patrick Agyemang in the 87th minute.

https://www.espn.com/soccer/match/_/gameId/762258/belgium-united-states

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It was a friendly match and neither side played all their best guys. Doesn't mean much.

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I hope you're right. But it's not a total swap.

sycasey said:

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concordtom said:

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Finally, we've played 4 beatable teams. Because we got a top seed as host and because of expansion to 48 teams. No group of death and we just played a 3rd seed which would have been eliminated before.

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They are beatable teams but IMO the previous US teams would have won by like 1-0 or 2-1 or gotten a couple of draws and had to sweat out the last group match. Instead it was a 4-1 trouncing, then a solid 2-0 win, then barely losing on a last-second goal in injury time (with our backups on the field because we had dominated the previous matches and won the group), then winning 2-0 in a knockout game when our best scorer gets a red card. The context is so much different here.

And let's not forget: Paraguay beat Germany, Bosnia beat Italy to knock them out of qualifying, etc. Not the best teams but not pushovers either and the USA was clearly the much better team against each.

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All great points!!
I just don't want this to end.

sluggo said:

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Cal88 said:

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Still no subs 1 man down at the 78th??

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The bench is better than it was but it is not good. The players were rested against Turkiye. I think a smart move to not sub until very late.

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After we scored the second goal, I was like, use all 3 sub windows and finish this off. Pochettino wasted one of the windows. I was screaming to sub with 1 minute left just to frustrate Bosnia.

My friend was yelling to use that time to pull the pin on number 4!

Cal88 said:

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sycasey said:

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DiabloWags said:

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sycasey said:

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Well that is a weak red card. Totally changes everything.

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Such BS.
They were both going for the ball at speed.

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Should have been yellow at best. This is the bad use of VAR.

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I think the red is deserved here, reckless landing/follow through on the defender's ankle.

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Dangerous? Yes.
Reckless? Where was Balogun supposed to put his foot when the guy crashed and jumped in front of him with one step left?

It was one of the very unfortunate things that happens in the sport.

concordtom said:

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sycasey said:

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concordtom said:

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Finally, we've played 4 beatable teams. Because we got a top seed as host and because of expansion to 48 teams. No group of death and we just played a 3rd seed which would have been eliminated before.

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They are beatable teams but IMO the previous US teams would have won by like 1-0 or 2-1 or gotten a couple of draws and had to sweat out the last group match. Instead it was a 4-1 trouncing, then a solid 2-0 win, then barely losing on a last-second goal in injury time (with our backups on the field because we had dominated the previous matches and won the group), then winning 2-0 in a knockout game when our best scorer gets a red card. The context is so much different here.

And let's not forget: Paraguay beat Germany, Bosnia beat Italy to knock them out of qualifying, etc. Not the best teams but not pushovers either and the USA was clearly the much better team against each.

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All great points!!
I just don't want this to end.

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I never would have ever expected the US men to have a goal differential of 10 to 4 at any point in a World Cup, I don't care who the opponents are. 10 GOALS?!

Belgium will be tough without Balogun but the way they are playing and with home field advantage I think the US has a decent shot.

sluggo said:

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Just reading about the have in a cab. Goal?

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USA had two goals called back for offsides: balogun and pulisic. Off by a full body.
Balogun hit the crossbar at end of first half.

Bosnia missed a couple shots wide by about two feet. Close calls.
Bosnia almost had an early Olympico. Matt F slapped it away late falling backwards into the goal.

Winning and losing in this contest often hinges on very small things.
That's said, we dominated them.

DiabloWags said:

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I think we are just 3 or 4 Truth Social posts from getting Balogun's red card overturned.

PS. If this was motor racing they would have simply called it a racing incident. There was no intent and nowhere else for Balogun to go.

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He should pull the Infantino card. That would be the first good thing he's done as president!!!

concordtom said:

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DiabloWags said:

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We are the hottest country in the World right now.
How could we lose?
Why not us?

HAPPY 250th ANNIVERSARY!

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Even Bangor Maine

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Hmmm...

Friday games in Dallas, Miami and Kansas City.
Saturday games in Houston and Philadelphia.

Have fun, guys. Stay hydrated.

So who starts in place of Balogun at center forward against Belgium on Monday? Pepi or Wright?

I vote Wright. Pepi just does not have the physicality for this type of tournament. I guess we will probably see both over the course of the match.

Eastern Oregon Bear said:

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concordtom said:

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DiabloWags said:

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We are the hottest country in the World right now.
How could we lose?
Why not us?

HAPPY 250th ANNIVERSARY!

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Even Bangor Maine

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Hmmm...

Friday games in Dallas, Miami and Kansas City.
Saturday games in Houston and Philadelphia.

Have fun, guys. Stay hydrated.

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England gets Mexico City altitude, high of 73, 65% chance of rain.

OneKeg said:

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So who starts in place of Balogun at center forward against Belgium on Monday? Pepi or Wright?

I vote Wright. Pepi just does not have the physicality for this type of tournament. I guess we will probably see both over the course of the match.

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Pepi has a much higher work rate, running down defenders. He will get the start, as Pochettino has already preferred him many times, and then Wright will sub in late after Pepi is exhausted.

What were the odds all 3 Concacaf hosts would reach the final 16?

Let's hear it for "host seeding advantages"!!!

NO WAY do concacaf rankings indicate this could have happened!

…or do they?

FIFA Rankings:
Canada 30, Morocco 6
Mexico 10, England 4
USA 15, Belgium 9


CANADA ODDS:
Saturday 10am PDT from Houston
Canada vs. Morocco Moneyline Odds
Morocco (-125 to -130): The minus sign means they are the favorite. You must bet $125 to profit $100.

Canada (+380 to +390): The plus sign means they are the underdog. A $100 bet yields a $380 profit if they pull off the upset.

Draw (+260 to +265): Betting on a tie after 90 minutes of regulation. A $100 bet profits $260.


MEXICO ODDS:
Sunday Evening 6pm Mexico City
England is the slight favorite to defeat Mexico in their FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 match on Sunday, July 5. Betting lines generally favor England to advance at -155, while Mexico sits as a +125 underdog.


USA ODDS:
Monday evening 5pm Seattle
The United States enters the Monday, July 6th Round of 16 match as a very slight favorite over Belgium.
While major sportsbooks like FanDuel and DraftKings view the match almost as a dead heat, the moneyline leans slightly toward the USA:
To Win in 90 Minutes: The USA sits at +155, compared to +165 for Belgium and +250 for a regular-time draw.
To Advance Outright: The USA is favored anywhere between -120 and -130, while Belgium is a slight underdog at -105 to +105.
Winning Probability: Statistical models reflect a similar edge, giving the USMNT a 37.4% chance to win in regulation compared to 35.1% for Belgium.

This represents a major shift from pre-tournament expectations when 9th-ranked Belgium was highly favored over the 17th-ranked Americans. The lines flipped following the USA's dominant group stage and Belgium's sluggish play, including nearly being eliminated by Senegal. However, the margin remains exceptionally tight because the USA will be playing without breakout star striker Folarin Balogun following his red card.

sluggo said:

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A problem with the world cup is inclusivity of refs. The top refs in Europe are great. The top refs in the rest of the world are not. Did not see the play in question but jersey tugging is usually am automatic yellow.

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Jersey tugging without punishment is common

DiabloWags said:

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I think we are just 3 or 4 Truth Social posts from getting Balogun's red card overturned.

PS. If this was motor racing they would have simply called it a racing incident. There was no intent and nowhere else for Balogun to go.

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this, where is he when we need him?

Interesting, I wonder what the percentages would have been with Balogun playing.

Anarchistbear said:

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John Denver's estate is making some coin. Almost heaven

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Spotify says streaming of the song is up 75%!

AI's take:
"However, it's worth keeping the numbers in perspective. Even though the World Cup audience is enormous, performance royalties from broadcasts are usually spread among many songs and rights holders. The estate is probably making hundreds of thousands of dollars from the overall surge in popularity and licensingnot tens of millionsfrom the tournament alone.

The bigger long-term benefit may be that the song has been introduced to a new generation. If "Country Roads" becomes permanently associated with the USMNT, as songs like "You'll Never Walk Alone" are with certain soccer clubs, the estate could continue to benefit from increased streaming, licensing, and cultural relevance for years after the 2026 World Cup ends. "

Anarchistbear said:

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John Denver's estate is making some coin. Almost heaven

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I was 12 when it came out.
Was written by 3 guys that had never been to West Virginia.
lol



The surprising backstory of John Denver's 1971 American classic 'Take Me Home, Country Roads' - Yahoo News Canada