USMNT's World Cup dream crushed by Belgium in round of 16 - ESPN

SEATTLE — Even with Folarin Balogun back up front, the United States men's national team crashed out of the World Cup in the round of 16 once again.

It was a meek ending to a month-long surge for the U.S. here on Monday, as Belgium dominated the Americans — and silenced a once-raucous crowd at Lumen Field — in a 4-1 defeat.

Charles De Ketelaere scored twice for the Belgians and Hans Vanaken took advantage of an ugly mistake from U.S. goalkeeper Matt Freese to finish the U.S. off. Romelo Lukaku's blasted shot from close range off another giveaway in stoppage time was vicious, but academic.

— Pulisic forced off injured for USMNT vs. Belgium

It is the fourth time in the last five World Cups that the Americans have exited at this stage; the only exception was 2018, when they did not even qualify.

Belgium also sent the U.S. home from the 2014 World Cup but that game, which went to extra time, felt much closer than this one.

The U.S. was dazzling in the group stage and grinded out an impressive victory over Bosnia-Herzegovina in the round of 32 — playing with 10 men for more than a half hour after their top scorer, Balogun, was sent off — so the U.S. players and the fans had high hopes of reaching just the second quarterfinal in program history.

Instead, the Americans unraveled. Christian Pulisic was wholly ineffective — he turned the ball over 11 times in the first half, more than anyone on the field ---and Sergiño Dest was such a liability on the right that coach Mauricio Pochettino pulled him at halftime. Balogun, who scored three goals and forced a fourth via own-goal in the first four U.S. games, ran aimlessly for most of the match, never threatening in a meaningful way.

Expectations, of course, were much higher, as the