Starting Lineups for Key Clash: USA vs Belgium, Balogun's Controversial Inclusion
Mauricio Pochettino's United States side lined up in a 4-3-3 formation. The biggest pre-match悬念 — top scorer Folarin Balogun was initially set to serve a suspension due to a red card, but FIFA unusually announced a "one-year reprieve" for his ban, allowing him to start, becoming a tactical variable for the team.
The U.S. starting XI is as follows:
Goalkeeper: 24-Matt Freese
Defenders: 2-Sergiño Dest, 3-Chris Richards, 13-Tim Ream, 5-Antonee Robinson
Midfielders: 16-Alex Freeman, 4-Tyler Adams, 8-Weston McKennie
Forwards: 17-Malik Tillman, 20-Folarin Balogun, 10-Christian Pulisic
Belgium, under coach Rudi Garcia, adopted a surprising rotation strategy with a 4-2-3-1 formation. Key players De Bruyne, Lukaku, and Doku were all placed on the bench, a move akin to "Tian Ji's horse racing" — letting the young U.S. high press expend energy in the first half, then sending on experienced stars to secure victory in the second half.
Belgium's starting lineup:
Goalkeeper: 1-Thibaut Courtois
Defenders: 21-Timothy Castagne, 4-Brandon Mechele, 5-Maxim De Cuyper, 25-Nathan Ngoy
Midfielders: 8-Youri Tielemans, 23-Nicolas Raskin
Forwards: 24-Amadou Onana, 10-Leandro Trossard, 14-Dodi Lukebakio, 17-Charles De Ketelaere
Notably, Belgium's bench also includes Witsel, Vanaken, Saelemaekers and other renowned players.
The biggest pre-match controversy off the pitch was Balogun's "reprieve" incident. According to multiple foreign media reports, U.S. President Donald Trump personally called the FIFA president to inquire about the matter, leading to a protest from the Belgian FA.
The two teams have a long-standing rivalry: At the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, Belgium eliminated the USA 2-1 in the round of 16; in a friendly match this March, Belgium won 5-2. The USA has lost six consecutive official matches against Belgium. Playing at home, the U.S. side is determined to rewrite history.
The referee for this match is Adham Makhadmeh from Jordan.