USMNT are preparing for arguably their biggest match in history as they take on Belgium at 8pm this evening in Seattle, after seeing off Bosnia & Herzegovina last time out at the World Cup.
USMNT have only ever reached the quarter-finals once before, and that came in 2002. Mauricio Pochettino’s side have a brilliant opportunity to etch their name into the history books by beating Belgium later and their chances have increased after star striker Folarin Balogun’s red card ban was suspended.
Pochettino’s men will quietly fancy their chances of progressing to the last-eight, especially in front of a lively home crowd in Seattle, but Belgium truly is their first massive test of the tournament.
USMNT vs Belgium match odds
USMNT win: +145 (40.8% chance)
Draw: +240 (29.4% chance)
Belgium win: +180 (35.7% chance)
Odds provided by CSB – subject to change
What the managers have said
Speaking about Balogun’s reprieve, Mauricio Pochettino told reporters: “I think everyone who really looked at the sport and trusts in ethics and integrity should celebrate that decision. We were punished enough against Bosnia and Herzegovina, playing with 10 men for 35 minutes after a decision that was completely unfair.”
He added: “I think this knockout round against a European country, being at the door of the quarter-finals, would make even more history for a country like this. We’re going to have the support of our fans, the 12th man.”
Speaking about the Balogun decision, Belgium boss Rudi Garcia told reporters: “I thought the World Cup was in July, not April. It’s now April Fools. We’re not defending the national team or the federation. We’re defending football.”
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