Lukebakio delays Benfica return after Belgium rout USA | OneFootball

Belgium beat the United States 4-1 and secured a place in the World Cup quarter-finals in a match marked by the tense atmosphere that preceded kick-off. Amid the controversy over Folarin Balogun’s participation, after he was sent off in the match against Bosnia, following a request from Donald Trump. The response came in the best possible way: on the pitch.

Belgium’s 4-1 win was emphatic, like a cry that had been stuck in the chest waiting for the right moment to be heard. With the result, Benfica will have to wait even longer for the return of Dodi Lukebakio, who started against the Americans despite having a quiet game. As a result, Marco Silva will still have to wait to have the player available, as well as Schjelderup, who is also still at the World Cup.

The Belgian national team showed an intensity it had not yet displayed at this World Cup and took control of the match early on. Without allowing the Americans to settle into their game, they took the lead through Charles De Ketelaere, who took advantage of a poor clearance by the opposing defence to open the scoring from close range.

While the United States tried to keep alive the dream of staying in the tournament, Folarin Balogun, the team’s top scorer at this World Cup and whose suspension was lifted by FIFA, went practically unnoticed and delivered a performance well below expectations.

Belgium sealed the rout late on, with Romelu Lukaku adding his name to the scoresheet and making it 4-1, sealing qualification for the quarter-finals. Beyond reaching the next round, the victory will also have helped ease the dissatisfaction of the Belgian Football Federation, which had been considering filing a formal complaint with FIFA over the lifting of Balogun’s suspension. In the end, it was the Red Devils who had the real reasons to smile.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.