Belgium put five past USA in humbling defeat for World Cup hosts

[p]Unbeaten across their last five warm-up games for this summer’s FIFA World Cup (W4, D1), co-hosts [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/usa/fuitL4CF/"]USA[/a] knew a positive start was needed against a star-studded Belgian side. It was the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/manchester-united/ppjDR086/"]Red Devils[/a], however, who created the first clear-cut opportunity of the contest, with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/saelemaekers-alexis/n5cPVwks/"]Alexis Saelemaekers[/a] firing over from a promising position in the box.[/p][p]Grateful for that early reprieve, the USA grew into the match, and they could’ve taken the lead themselves, only for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mckennie-weston/jZHxRi2A/"]Weston McKennie[/a]’s close-range effort to be superbly thwarted by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lammens-senne/UFssg7X4/"]Senne Lammens[/a].[/p][p]Having scored 3+ goals in six of their last nine matches, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/belgium/GbB957na/"]Belgium[/a] continued to threaten in the final third, as Saelemaekers’ low strike was comfortably saved by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/turner-matt/KbZtv1W8/"]Matt Turner[/a] before [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/de-ketelaere-charles/2eOa3r1T/"]Charles De Ketelaere[/a] saw a well-taken finish ruled out for a handball in the build-up.[/p][p][b]The Stars and Stripes took the lead shortly after, with McKennie finding himself unmarked in the six-yard box to convert from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/robinson-antonee/ppHdaUtm/"]Antonee Robinson[/a]’s corner[/b][/p][embed guid="b856f77c-61a2-41c1-80ac-142215b04ef7" url="https://x.com/USMNT/status/2037990490025472113" social-type="twitter" /][p][b]Undeterred, Belgium restored parity on the stroke of half-time, as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/debast-zeno/UsC6jnib/"]Zeno Debast[/a] netted his first international goal via a brilliant long-range finish into the bottom corner beyond Turner.[/b][/p][p]The end-to-end nature of the contest continued into the early stages of the second period, with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/pulisic-christian/vTuaEfRq/"]Christian Pulisic[/a] shooting wastefully over from 12 yards.[/p][p][b]The hosts were immediately punished for that miss, as Saelemaekers’ clever cutback was clinically swept home by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/onana-amadou/roId3gPf/"]Amadou Onana[/a]. [/b][/p][p][b]Belgium looked to press home their advantage, and after [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/doku-jeremy/lMHcYK4f/"]Jeremy Doku[/a] saw a dangerous effort saved by Turner, the visitors were awarded a penalty when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ream-tim/rcZZwu8e/"]Tim Ream[/a] was harshly penalised for a handball in the box. De Ketelaere assumed the responsibility from the spot, and the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/atalanta/8C9JjMXu/"]Atalanta[/a] man sent Turner the wrong way to extend the Red Devils’ lead.[/b][/p][p]Armed with all the momentum, Garcia rotated several of his key players with time heading into the final half-hour.[/p][p][b]One of those to be introduced, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lukebakio-dodi/08a9jhm9/"]Dodi Lukebakio[/a], got his name on the scoresheet in the 68th minute, as he cut in from the right-hand side of the box and unleashed a spectacular strike into the top corner. [/b][/p][p][b]It was a case of damage limitation for Mauricio Pochettino’s side in the closing stages, but Belgium remained ruthless in attack, and they added a fifth when Lukébakio powered a loose ball beyond Turner. [/b][/p][p][b]A late consolation from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/agyemang-patrick/69kPHWm8/"]Patrick Agyemang[/a], who capitalised on a calamitous mistake from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tielemans-youri/GtkTQyib/"]Youri Tielemans[/a], salvaged a sliver of pride for the hosts, but it was a sobering night for the Stars and Stripes, as they fell to their first-ever defeat in the state of Georgia (W2, D2).[/b][/p][p][b]Flashscore Man of the Match: [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/saelemaekers-alexis/n5cPVwks/"]Alexis Saelemaekers[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/belgium/GbB957na/"]Belgium[/a])[/b][/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/belgium-GbB957na/usa-fuitL4CF/?mid=AkzS6uae"]Click here for more on the match[/a][/b][/p][embed guid="30c8c52b-da91-4971-be6f-6be3cb7c14a7" url="https://x.com/BelRedDevils/status/2038007008687714672" social-type="twitter" /]