2014 FIFA World Cup™ Round of 16: United States v. Belgium | Tues, Jul 1

Belgium

 

Belgium will get it together and find another gear. 2-1.

 

Logically Belgium should win. But this is the World Cup, and logic does not always apply.

 

performance wise dunno.I only saw the results...usa 4points....belgium 9points.but ofc Belgium had easiest group.But based of the quality of the players Belgium has by far better players.Ofc this is not always the case.

 

Belgium hasn't been impressive and although they dominated US in a friendly, it was only a friendly and it was a year or 2 ago? USA have exceeded my expectations by getting out of the Group of Death, but saying that, I don't want it to end in the R16. And I'd be disappointed if it does, but what if they win to reach the 1/4 final? Can you imagine the hype? It would be 2002 x 10! And the opportunity is there for the taking.

 

But what if the US win and have to face Nigeria? What a great chance to reach the semis. It's okay if we get ahead of ourselves.

 

Belgium in ot

 

Belgium toyed with us last year. It was ugly.
It was more lopsided than today vs Germany was.

That being said, we have a chance. We were outplayed vs Ghana. And got a W.
We outplayed Portugal. And didn't get a W.
Anyone can win.

I just wish we had an in-form, in-shape Altidore.

http://fivethirtyeight.com/interactives/world-cup/

 

Bigger upsets have happened, but yeah we are the underdog.

Interesting that all of Belgium's goals have come after the 70 minute mark.

 

Belgium wins this 2-0. There's nothing from the US that I've seen to suggest they'll pull a win.

 

I meant Switzerland, not Nigeria

 

Is Switzerland playing? I thought I was watching Snow white and the seven dwarves yesterday.

 

Belgium is going to have to pick it up a notch if they hope to beat the US...none of the three teams they beat in Group H are on the same level as the teams in Group G.

Belgium has more talent on paper, but the US has more energy and is currently playing at a higher level. Tactically, Belgium favors a slow build up, which should not be too difficult for the US to defend, and I'm not sure Belgium has the speed to stop US counterattacks.

Gut feeling is 1-1 after 90 minutes, with the US scoring the winner in extra time.

 

Hoping that the USA can somehow edge Belgium.

 

I´d rather play Belgium than the US in 1/8s (as long as we manage to beat the swiss, ofc). Belgium is a more talented team, but the US is very dynamic and that can be unpredictable.

 

I was responding to starbuck who said something about playing Argentina if US beat Belgium. Argentina is playing Switzerland in R16 and so I was asking what if we play Switzerland? But I happen to think the US will play Argentina too.

 

Maybe the US get lucky against Belgium and then play a beatable Swiss team in the Quarters and we amazingly reach the Semis? Or the US play the game of their lives against an overconfident Argentina? I know wishful thinking, but it's definitely possible and not as farfetched as some may think.
The US had a favorable bracket in 2010, but then Ricardo Clark and Carlos Bocanegra happened. If Ghana can come within a PK of the Semis, then why can't the US do something similar?

 

Belgium to win it late after tiring the US out in the first 70 minutes. 1-0 or 2-0 sounds about right.

 

The worrying thing for the US is the way that Belgium played once they went down to 10 men. Up till that point they had been strong but disjointed, but all of a sudden an intensity and purpose appeared; it might just be the spark they needed.

I think unless the US score with something quite special (either from distance or an incisive break) they will fail to break a giant Belgian side down, and will be picked off by their attacking qualities. 1 or 2-0.

 

Hard to say how good Belgium really is. Of course they are favorites. They have a lot of talented young players playing in big leagues. But they had a pretty easy group and didn't convince there. If the US plays like they played vs Ghana and Portugal it will be a very close game with an open end.

 

I think that the US will play a more dynamic brand of futbol in the knock-out round game. I think that if the good Michael Bradley shows up, they have a fighting chance. If the Michael Bradley of the group competition shows up, I give them little chance.

 

I think the US wins this one. All three teams the US has played are probably better than Belgium.