After burying the ghosts of Belgium 3-1 in Seattle, Mauricio Pochettino's side meet Spain this afternoon for a semi-final place — territory no U.S. men's team has reached since the field was twelve teams deep in 1930.
INGLEWOOD — SoFi Stadium has seen the USMNT once already this tournament, in the group opener that ended 4-1 over Paraguay. The building they return to today is louder, the stakes unrecognizable: beat Spain and the United States are in a World Cup semi-final on home soil.
The route here demanded nerve. In Seattle on Monday, Charles De Ketelaere's ninth-minute opener threatened a familiar story — until Malik Tillman bent in his second free kick of the knockout rounds, Folarin Balogun turned a week of red-card controversy into the go-ahead goal, and Christian Pulisic finished Belgium off in stoppage time. Three knockout wins in a single World Cup: the program had never managed two.
Spain are the tournament's control group — unbeaten, barely stretched, and through on Mikel Merino's stoppage-time winner against Portugal in Arlington. Pochettino has spent the week on the pressing triggers that unsettled Belgium's build-up, and on Tillman, whose set-piece delivery is suddenly the most valuable ball in the American game.
The winner meets France — 2-0 winners over Morocco in Thursday's opener — at AT&T Stadium on Tuesday. Kickoff today is 3pm ET. The 1930 team reached the last four by boat; this one is ninety minutes away by freeway.
De Ketelaere's ninth-minute goal quieted Seattle for exactly 22 minutes — until Tillman's free kick found the top corner. Balogun, back from the Bosnia controversy, put the U.S. ahead on 57, and Pulisic sealed a first quarter-final since 2002 deep in stoppage time.
Five days after the red card against Bosnia that nearly ended his tournament, Folarin Balogun scored the goal that beat Belgium. He spoke in Los Angeles about the week in between — and why this team refuses to treat Spain as a ceiling.
Spain haven't trailed in this tournament, which is exactly why Pochettino wants the game ugly: high turnovers, quick restarts, and Tillman's set-piece delivery onto the head of anyone in navy. The blueprint that unsettled Belgium gets its hardest test yet.
Kylian Mbappe shrugged off a first-half penalty miss to curl in his eighth goal of the tournament and set up Ousmane Dembele as France booked a semi-final place in Foxborough.
Two down with 15 minutes left, the champions scored three times in 13 minutes — the winner deep in stoppage time — to reach the last eight.
Spain edged Portugal 1-0 in Arlington. Cristiano Ronaldo leaves the stage after a fifth World Cup without the trophy.
The holders face a Swiss side that eliminated Colombia on penalties, with Vargas converting the decisive kick. Saturday, 9pm ET, Kansas City.
Orlando Gill saved from Havertz and Woltemade as Germany lost a World Cup shootout for the first time in their history.
Norway won 2-1 at MetLife after Nyland saved Bruno Guimaraes' penalty. Neymar's stoppage-time spot-kick was a consolation, and he confirmed his international retirement after the final whistle.
The Egyptian FA has asked FIFA to review decisions from the defeat to Argentina in Miami Gardens.
| Team | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 4 | 6 |
| 2 | Australia | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| 3 | Paraguay | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 4 |
| 4 | Turkiye | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 3 |
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