A different kind of Monday Night Football comes to Seattle when the United States (US) 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 US team whose tournament ambitions have grown with each performance.
Before the World Cup, many US 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 US 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.
–Reuters–
