Briefly: US keeper’s blunder hands Belgium a quarter‑final ticket

Briefly, Belgium secured a quarter‑final place after a 3‑1 victory over the United States in the World Cup round of 16, a win sealed by a costly mistake from US goalkeeper Matthew Freese. The error allowed Charles De Ketelaere to score the decisive goal. The World Cup hosts from the USA were handing out plenty of gifts in the round of 16 against Belgium. The defense already looked pretty catastrophic for Charles De Ketelaere’s first two goals. After a simple long ball, US goalkeeper Matthew Freese rushed aimlessly out of his box and reached the ball first. He hesitated too long, allowing the impressive De Ketelaere to block his clearance.

Dest sees equal odds for US and Belgium at World Cup 2026

Midfielder Hans Vanaken then pounced on the loose ball and rolled it into the completely deserted US net from around 30 metres out. The strike left the USA defence stunned. Center‑back Tim Ream was also unable to clear the ball, contributing to the USA’s collapse. The Americans could not recover from the mistake.

Carletto’s bittersweet link to the United States and the 2026 World Cup

The article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. The original version is available in German.