Will Bologun's absence doom USMNT v. Belgium?
Joe Prince-Wright, Nick Mendola and Andy Edwards preview the USMNT's next match in the Round of 16 against Belgium and what Folarin Balogun's absence will mean for the match.
Video Transcript
All right, Nick and Andy, this is it, the big one.
USA against Belgium in Seattle, last 16 of the World Cup.
This is what they've been building up to for all these years.
Nick, coming to you first.
Red hot USA team coming off that win against Bosnia and Herzegovina, against these Belgian superstar veterans, I think we can call them now.
this is, I think, as close to, like, a 50/50 game as you could probably get, given some of the absentees, for the US, or the one in particular.
how are you feeling about this?
And again, I think the last 16 before the tournament was what we expected to be sort of almost the bare minimum for the USA, and thought, "Yeah, this is where they have to get to."
And now this is when we find out how much they've progressed, how much better they are as individuals and as a team.
So I cannot be more excited for this last 16 game against Belgium.
Not gonna lie, guys, I got a little bit of fear about this one.
Um- Okay.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I, look, I'm excited.
I'm very excited.
I think they can win.
I do think 50/50 is, is fair.
I might go 49/51 because of so many players on Belgium that you could say Like, in your head right now, everybody watching this, think about how many players, if I said, "This player was at his best," and it's just difficult for the US to contain that.
Uh- Mm-hmm could be the answer to this, right?
Even if it's a half-hour for Lukaku.
It's Jeremy Doku, who is a massive, massive threat.
Kevin De Bruyne, I think, has still been pretty wonderful given his age.
Tielemans has been unreal.
Yeah.
Trossard is playing as well as I've ever seen him play.
And so I, I think there are difference makers on both teams, for sure, but there are more players on Belgium that I fear the rest of the team's having a bad game, but this guy can step up and take over.
And so I'm just wondering if we're not about, as a nation, as a national team program, to face Besides Guler, okay?
Take him out of the equation.
Are the next five guys of the best opponents that they will have played in this tournament- Yeah on Belgium?
Probably.
And experienced.
Yeah.
And just top quality and can deliver.
Andy, I think from a US perspective, there's obviously clearly one talking point, about this game, and that's Balogun missing with a red card.
Who starts instead of him?
Is it Ricardo Pepi starting?
Does Haji Wright come in?
Does Poch do something totally different?
what, what's the key to getting that decision right?
And there's, make no mistake about it, it's a huge blow because Balogun is the main difference from this team that got to the last 16 at, in Qatar in 2022 to being in the last 16 this time and having a great chance, you feel like, of going on a historic run.
So that clinical finish is gonna be missing, but- Yeah this is an opportunity for a couple of players to step up and really make themselves heroes.
Yeah, it is.
I wish it wasn't happening in this game, though.
I'll, I'll just- Yeah say that.
I love the storyline and that somebody gets the opportunity to do it, but, but Balogun has been so beyond expectations a- at this tournament.
Mm-hmm.
You know, it, his first major tournament, and we didn't know what to expect from this team, and at times he's carried them, and, and just willed them to, to getting to where they're at.
And for him to not be available for this one, it's, it's gonna be really tough.
I don't love Ricardo Pepi as a single lone forward up top or, or even as the more physical forward option.
Because if it's gonna be this kinda 3-5-2 fluid thing that it's been, it's gonna be alongside Christian Pulisic, and I don't think that's a great, you know, pairing up top for being able to hold the ball up, to being able to retain possession, to be able to bring the midfield into attack a little bit more because they don't have the hold-up play.
Or s- he doesn't have really the hold-up play that, that, one, Balogun does, and I think the one that gives that, probably Haji Wright.
he also stretches things a little bit more and, and causes some problems in behind.
And so maybe they look to, to use him a little bit more as a decoy, and that opens up space in front of the back line for Weston McKennie, who's been fantastic.
Malik Tillman, who looks like he's becoming a star right in front of our eyes.
Maybe it's not so much focusing on the center forward the way it has been when Balogun is available, but using the center forward to set up or set the stage for everything else.
Nick, when we talk about sort of the keys to this game, obviously you mention all the great attackers that Belgium have.
I, I wonder, does Poch tweak anything, the, formation-wise or personnel-wise?
Because this is a different level, I think it's fair to say, than they've faced at this World Cup so far.
And are we gonna see a bit more of the sit back, solid, deeper from the US, and then look to hit Belgium on the counter?
'Cause when I'm looking at it, the main weakness of this Belgian team we saw against Senegal is giving up chances on breaks, is defensively I don't think they're anywhere near as solid as they were in tournaments gone by with, yeah, Batshuayi and Toby Alderweireld, all those legends back there.
That's the main weakness, right?
So I'm just trying to think of the best way for the US without Balogun to hurt Belgium.
And in my mind, that might actually be the right way to set up, but what do you think?
I, I wanna out-athlete them if I can.
I've been thinking about this a lot.
I would play Haji Wright 100%.
and it's not about, not even about what Andy Andy makes very valid points on Pepi, but I, I just don't think he's looked good.
I mean, he's, he's looked clumsy.
He's looked overawed by the moment, I think.
Wright has, by the way, goals for the US at World Cup.
he has big goals for them.
But I think I might go false nine there.
I, I, I like the idea of maybe putting, keeping the team exactly the same and telling Tim Weah to go up top and, and be a little bit of a freak, right?
Like, because what Balogun gives you is that, that sort of, "I'm gonna run after every ball.
I'm dogged.
I only need half a chance.
And when I get half a chance, I've sniffed it out and I'm ready to put it on frame."
I like the idea of Weah perhaps, although I do like your idea too, Joe.
I should say that.
I, I like the idea of Weah perhaps here.
I don't There are very few things that Pochettino's doing that I don't really understand, and one is the continued Freese usage in goal.
Not that I think he's bad, but I like Turner's experience.
and, and the other is, is Pepi over Wright.
Yeah.
Andy, all right, let's do it.
Let's go for predictions and, figure out how we're gonna do this.
But, this is the moment.
Like I said, this is what Pochettino- Yeah has been building to for the last few years.
This is how we get to measure success based on the last World Cup and where the US is going.
Now look, no- no matter what's happened, what happens in this game, this tournament has been, has exceeded my expectations for this US team.
but this is the chance to take it from sort of a eight, 7.5 out of 10- Yeah to like a nine out of 10.
If they were to beat Belgium to reach the quarterfinals of the World Cup, that just takes it to the next level.
And I do believe the US has, the players, the mentality, the positive vibes for everything going on in this country, and the support they're getting.
But how are you feeling?
Let me be- let me hear your thoughts and get your prediction, mate.
Yeah.
T- USA, Belgium, round of 16 of the World Cup.
sounds a little familiar.
I like that they- Where's Tim Howard?
Um- I, I, I know.
And, and I'm thinking about the goalkeeper as well, because Nick brought it up there at the very end, and obviously that was the Tim Howard game.
We've not seen Matt Freese have to do a whole lot in this tournament.
He's not had to really keep them in or, you know, save their bacon at any point so far.
At some point, if they're going to make a serious run in this tournament, he'll have to have a game like that, and it's probably against a team like Belgium who's gonna have a lot of chances in this game.
And so, you know, maybe by default, this ends up being the Matt Freese game.
Whether that's good or bad, we, we will find out.
I think prediction Oh, gosh.
I think they go down to penalties.
I think it's 2-2- Oh and then they'll lose in penalties.
Yeah.
And that is going to That's gonna hurt for a long, long time, because w- I have more belief in this team now to, just to show up every single game.
Not that they're going to be at their best every time, but they, they will show up.
And that is such a It's, it's a comforting feeling for, for the US Men's National Team, because that's not been the case for, for quite some time, sadly.
Nick, I mean, I hope Andy's wrong with the score prediction there, but, given the way Belgium played against the US in March in a friendly, I, I mean, yeah, it was You know, the US had different players out there.
But as a kind of precursor to this and seeing how dangerous they are and the players they can bring off the bench, especially in those attacking areas, I do worry a little bit about sort of the step up in quality that the US has played so far, and this is quite a big step up, in terms of sort of technical ability and experience.
We talked about it, all those great players.
So, before you give your prediction, I think I'm gonna go 2-1 to Belgium.
I think it's gonna be really tight, really tense, but, I just think the quality they have on the pitch, you have to give Belgium the slight edge, and one of those star players is gonna figure out a way to get it done.
You're gonna need two goals to win this game, at least two goals to win this game, and that means two goals against Thibaut Courtois- Yeah in a, in a big game.
I just don't know that I can do it.
I know they were missing, missing Adams and Richards in that 5-2 game.
I know Pepi had an assist to Arameng in that game.
I just wanna be honest to people.
You know, like, I wanna be honest.
Yeah.
I, I, I think it's gonna be a 2-1 game.
I do.
Yeah.
but I'm gonna, I'm gonna say it's Belgium.
It kills me to say it.
I You only get so many World Cups in your life.
They're my favorite thing to root for the US is a World Cup.
I wanna be wrong more than I've ever been wrong, but- Thibaut Courtois is the difference here.
Yeah.
The heart says USA 2-1, the head says Belgium just to, edge it.
But, like I said before, whatever happens in this game, I think the USA has won so many fans on home soil and around the world for how they've kind of approached these games, been really proactive, the intensity they've played with.
It's been a massive positive, 'cause we didn't know heading into this World Cup how it was gonna go.
This group of players haven't really played together for a long time due to injuries and other issues.
And hats off to them whatever happens against Belgium, because I think they made a lot of people believe in the program again, and it's gonna do a lot of good for the sport in this country.
So head over to Pro Soccer Talk on embassysports.com for the big one, last 16 of the World Cup, USA against Belgium.
Let's see if the Stars and Stripes can stun the Belgians and get to the World Cup quarterfinals
