Belgium crashed the American party in Seattle, advancing to the round of 16 with a 4-1 win over the United States, putting on an offensive clinic that abruptly ended the co-hosts World Cup dream.
The result marked the second time Belgium has eliminated the U.S. in the Round of 16, with the first coming in Brazil in 2014.
FOX Sports soccer analysts Zlatan IbrahimoviÄ and Thierry Henry offered mixed but candid reactions after the match. IbrahimoviÄ, however, kept his assessment simple, saying the U.S. was beaten by the better team and had gone as far as it realistically could in the tournament.
“They played a better team,” IbrahimoviÄ said. “They are better than the U.S. when you look at the paper and the game. I think this was the worst game the U.S. had, but they did face a proper opponent.”
Despite the loss, IbrahimoviÄ also saw the tournament as a success for the United States. At the same time, he suggested the loss served as a reality check for where the program currently stands.
“The result today is not good, but in the end I think it was a good one,” IbrahimoviÄ said. “They did the maximum they could in this tournament. Yes, you can have luck and you can go further but I think it was a reality check for the U.S.”
Henry, on the other hand, was disappointed with the United States’ performance.Â
While Belgium’s four goals were concerning, he was more critical of the Americans’ lack of attacking threat and inability to keep pace offensively.
“I wanted to see a team that was different when they were one-nil down and they couldnt answer,” Henry said. “At the end of the day, the third goal changed everything because it looked like they might be coming back.”
Despite playing on home soil, the U.S. suffered a brutal exit and Henry didn’t hold back. He delivered a sobering truth, making it clear the team’s performance against Belgium virtually guaranteed elimination.
“When you consider going out like that, youre going nowhere,” Henry said.Â
