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Monday, June 30, 2014

2014 FIFA World Cup Round of 16 Belgium Vs USA Tuesday July 01,2014


Belgium Vs USA at Arena Fonte Nova in Salvador





Managers

Marc Wilmots(Belgium)
Jurgen Klinsmann(USA)

17 members of the Belgium squad were not born the last time the national side reached the World Cup QF's in 1986.
Standing in their way are the USA, who reached the last eight most recently in 2002.

Match Facts

Head-to-head
  • Belgium and USA have met just once before in the World Cup, at the first tournament in 1930. The US ran out 3-0 winners in Montevideo.
  • Belgium have won the four subsequent meetings, keeping a clean sheet in three.
  • The Red Devils won 4-2 in Cleveland last year in their most recent encounter. Christian Benteke scored twice for Belgium that night, with Kevin Mirallas and Marouane Fellaini also among the goals. Clint Dempsey and Geoff Cameron replied for the USA.
Belgium
  • Belgium won all three of their group matches at a World Cup for the first time. It was also the first time they had won three successive World Cup games.
  • Marc Wilmots' side scored four goals during the group stage, the second lowest tally of the 16 teams who qualified for the second round (Greece scored twice).
  • The last six Belgium goals at World Cups have come in the closing 20 minutes of games.
  • Every outfield player featured during the group stage with the exception of defender Laurent Ciman.
  • Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois remains unbeaten at international level.
USA
  • The USA have reached the knockout stage in three of the last four World Cups.
  • They have kept just one clean sheet in their last 10 World Cup games, but have scored in all but one of their last nine.
  • Three of their last five strikes have come from set-piece situations (two corners, one penalty).
  • Clint Dempsey has four goals in nine World Cup appearances, scoring in each of his three World Cup tournaments (2006, 2010, 2014).
  • He needs one more goal to equal Landon Donovan as the USA's all-time World Cup top scorer with five goals.

Belgium beats USA 2-1
Goal Scorers
For Belgium -Kevin De Bruyne(93) and Romelu Lukaku(105)


For USA - Julian Green(107)





Tim Howard sets new World Cup record after making 15 saves for USA against Belgium


For in making 15 saves, the Everton man had set a new World Cup record since such statistics were first collected in 1966. Peru's Ramon Quiroga held the previous best with 13 against Holland in 1978.

It was the best performance from an American goalkeeper since Sylvester Stallone’s exploits in the 1981 film Escape to Victory.

Pentagon chief Hagel called Tim Howard on Wednesday to offer his congratulations and acknowledge the 'Secretary of Defense' joke that spread over the past day
U.S. goalkeeper Tim Howard was randomly drug-tested immediately after Tuesday's match against Belgium during which he set a World Cup record by making an amazing 16 saves.
Howard wasn't able to join his teammates in the locker room immediately after the 2-1 defeat because FIFA selected him to take the test
Two players from both teams are randomly drug-tested after each World Cup match, per FIFA regulations. 
FIFA has yet to release the results of Howard's test. No player has tested positive for banned substances at this World Cup. 
US Goalkeeper Tim Howard was cheered on by Today show host Natalie Morales the day after he tried to keep his team alive in a heartbreaking defeat






Match facts

Tim Howard made more saves in a single game (15) than any other player in World Cup history (1966-2014). Four of Belgium's six goals at the 2014 World Cup have been scored by substitutes.
Julian Green scored with his first ever touch of the ball in the World Cup. Seven of the USA's 17 shots against Belgium came in the second period of extra-time.

Certainly Belgium were partly to blame for not wrapping this up in normal time. They were not clinical in front of goal and it was only really in the last 15 minutes of normal time that Howard was required to produce his best work, saving from centre forward Divock Origi twice, Kevin Mirallas once and also from the largely disappointing Eden Hazard.
When Belgium finally took the lead in the third minute of extra time it was with their 32nd shot of the game. At that stage, only USA goalkeeper Tim Howard had stood between Belgium and the convincing victory they have been seeking all tournament.

Squads

Belgium
  • 01 Courtois
  • 02 Alderweireld
  • 05 Vertonghen
  • 06 Witsel
  • 15 van Buyten
  • 04 Kompany Booked
  • 14 Mertens (Mirallas - 60' )
  • 08 Fellaini
  • 17 Origi (Lukaku - 90' )
  • 07 De Bruyne
  • 10 Hazard (Chadli - 111' )

USA 

  • 01 Howard
  • 23 Johnson (Yedlin - 32' )
  • 07 Beasley
  • 20 Cameron Booked
  • 03 González
  • 05 Besler
  • 19 Zusi (Wondolowski - 72' )
  • 13 Jones
  • 08 Dempsey
  • 04 Bradley
  • 11 Bedoya (Green - 107' )

Belgium Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo took to Twitter on Tuesday ahead the last 16 meeting between the sides to challenge US President Barack Obama to a bet. 

Di Rupo tweeted: 'Hey @BarackObama, I am betting some great Belgian beers that our @BelRedDevils will make it to the quarter final! :-) #ComeOnBelgium #BEL'.



US President Barack Obama gesticulates towards the screen at a staff viewing party in Washington



Tom Hanks (centre) watched Belgium Vs USA match unfold with his family

Barack Obama, Joe Biden,Samuel L. Jackson and Arnold Schwarzenegger tweet support as celebrities get behind team USA 

Madeleine Albright was forthright with her support for the USMNT during the first half

   

This is the USMNT's locker room in Salvador, Brazil, where the team will be playing today. Coach Klinsmann gave his players these words of inspiration

  

USA fans cheer before a Round of 16 football match between Belgium and USA at Fonte Nova Arena in Salvador



At At&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys, organizers expected 5,000 people to show up to watch the game on the big screen. More than 10,000 came

At CenturyLink Field in Seattle, home of the Seattle Seahawks and Sounders FC MLS team - thousands gathered to watch 
Thousands of fans filled Soldier Field in Chicago to watch



Dejected fans in Washington, D.C.' Freedom Plaza watched as the Belgians scored two consecutive goals in extra time - which ultimately gave Belgium the victory
Devastated USA fans deflate after watching the Belgians score two un-answered goals in extra time





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