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Belgium couldn't wait to rub Donald Trump's nose in it as they knocked the US out of the World Cup
The United States were bowled out of the World Cup on Tuesday morning following a 4-1 rout from Belgium, with Iran claiming politics was defeated by football
Belgium's Nicolas Raskin says Fifa's decision to allow US striker Folarin Balogun to play against them fired them up for the last-16 tie in Seattle.
The midfielder had to work hard to win his place in Mauricio Pochettino’s squad for this tournament. He is more than repaying his coach’s faithWhile Malik Tillman was unsure of what to expect from the United States’ last-32 clash with Bosnia and Herzegovina, he certainly must have assumed he would finish the game with his boots intact.Tillman has been one of the US’s most important players in their run to the last 16, a vital part of their build-up and a tricky technician for opponents to contend with when he’s maneuvering through the final third. While everyone else waited to learn whether or not Folarin Balogun would be sent off during the second half of Wednesday’s 2-0 victory, Tillman noticed some discomfort with his right boot. There was a good reason: the top of it had been ripped after a stomp from an opponent. Continue reading...
The versatile striker was dangerous in his time on the field on Wednesday, but that time was prematurely ended with a surprising ejectionThe day after the US supreme court upheld birthright citizenship, Folarin Balogun – a player who wouldn’t have even been on the pitch if not for the longstanding, constitutional law – pushed the United States through to the World Cup last 16. Just two days short of his 25th birthday, Balogun scored the opening goal in the US’s 2-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina, his third of the tournament.Then, about 20 minutes later, Balogun was sent off, given a straight red card for what appeared to be inadvertent contact with Bosnia and Herzegovina defender Tarik Muharemović. It was a shocking turn of events for the Monaco forward, who was among the US’s best performers on Wednesday, as he has been for the entirety of the tournament. Continue reading...