USMNT vs. Belgium expert predictions, World Cup picks: What does Folarin Balogun's return mean for USA Soccer?
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- USMNT faces Belgium Monday at Lumen Field in Seattle in a World Cup Round of 16 match, with a quarterfinal berth at stake — a milestone the U.S. hasn't reached in nearly a quarter century.
- Folarin Balogun is available after FIFA suspended his red card from the Bosnia and Herzegovina match; all four panelists cited his availability as pivotal, with Roger Gonzalez noting he 'did not care for the team's chances' without him.
- Belgium won a pre-tournament friendly 5-2 over the U.S. in Atlanta in March and famously beat the Americans 2-1 in extra time in the 2014 World Cup round of 16, when Tim Howard set a FIFA World Cup record with 16 saves.
- Three of four CBS Sports experts picked USA to win (two predicted 2-1, one predicted 3-1), while Gonzalez picked Belgium 2-1, citing Belgium's narrow win over Senegal as evidence they've learned from past mistakes.
- Jeremy Doku was flagged as Belgium's most dangerous player by three of four experts after he 'terrorized' the U.S. right flank in the March friendly.
- Leandro Trossard and goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois were also highlighted as key Belgian threats, with Trossard recording two goals and an assist in the tournament and Courtois described as possibly the world's best at his position.
- Head coach Mauricio Pochettino is expected to maintain his aggressive, attack-minded setup rather than prioritize defensive stability, with midfielders McKennie and Tillman pushed forward to support Pulisic and Dest.
Why it matters: A U.S. quarterfinal would mark their deepest World Cup run since 2002, and three of four experts now favor them — a consensus that flips on Balogun's availability alone. Belgium's 5-2 March rout and Tim Howard's 16-save nightmare in 2014 show the margin is thin: Belgium hasn't played 55 minutes of good soccer in this tournament, per Chuck Booth, but has the individual quality (Doku, Trossard, Courtois) to punish any USMNT lapse.
