The United States men’s national team faces Belgium on Monday with a place in the World Cup quarter-finals on the line. It’s a matchup that stirs memories of 2014, when Belgium edged the US 2-1 in extra time. But this time, the Americans have no holdovers from that squad. Belgium, remarkably, carry four.
Belgium have struggled to hit full stride this World Cup. Rudi Garcia’s side won Group G, edging Egypt on goal difference and finishing one point ahead of eliminated Iran. In the last 32, they trailed Senegal 2-0 in the 82nd minute before forcing extra time, capping the comeback with a controversially awarded penalty for the latest goal in World Cup history.
Through four games, Belgium have retained 57% of possession with a 65% field tilt – a possession metric weighing only final-third touches – but haven’t found a way to maximize that advantage. Some of that comes down to their issues in the box, with Garcia seemingly in two minds about how to best use Romelu Lukaku after a lost year with Napoli.
Much of Belgium’s time in possession is spent in prime midfield territory before the ball is sprayed wide as Jérémy Doku and Leandro Trossard try to fashion shots cutting inside. While possession can be a noisy statistic, viewing it in stylistic terms can be informative. So far at this World Cup, Belgium have won the possession battle in all four of their games, with Senegal playing them closest in a 52-48 split. The United States have maintained a 58% share of the ball in their four games, neck-and-neck with Garcia’s Belgium.
If Mauricio Pochettino’s side can keep the ball off Belgian feet more often than not, it could unsettle the Red Devils. Ample time on the ball helps Belgium’s defense, as it keeps opponents from sizing up their own backline. Belgium largely operate in possession through the central channel, and can be vulnerable down the flanks when opponents regain possession. Center-backs Brandon Mechele and Arthur Theate defend fairly passively; they are more likely to stay back and own their space than roam to win the ball.
Iran’s Mehdi Taremi was able to exploit the Belgians’ flat-footedness with his nimble feints and incisive movement in the channels. Youri Tielemans bears a high burden of responsibility to help possession advance toward Kevin De Bruyne’s deft feet. That can leave the backline with minimal shielding. The forward line isn’t asked to press terribly hard, with Belgium ranking in the bottom-half of the 48-team field with three high-regains per game.
There are far worse goalkeepers to trust as a safety valve than Thibaut Courtois, and pushing teams wide does limit the likelihood of facing dangerous shots. Nonetheless, Belgium have weaknesses that the US can exploit. Senegal nearly beat Belgium by using width, quickly getting the ball to their wingers and creating overloads by having full-backs join the attack.
Folarin Balogun’s red card and one-game suspension means the US will be missing their main goal threat against Belgium. Conventional wisdom has been that Pochettino will replace him with another striker. However, because Pochettino chose to deploy a second striker against Australia instead of a like-for-like replacement for Christian Pulisic, wildcard scenarios must be considered.
This could be a time to play Gio Reyna as a false nine. There are other capable finishers on this team, from Pulisic and Malik Tillman to dynamic wide men Antonee Robinson and Sergiño Dest. Reyna could pull Belgium’s center-backs further upfield with savvy movement, and he has the technical acumen and range of passing to make opponents pay with lethal balls up the vacated channels. Then again, he seemed to struggle to keep up with the match in a rare start against Türkiye, and has worked well this summer as a change of pace from the bench.
Another option is Tim Weah. He played center-forward early in his career, but has seldom started up top since leaving Lille in the summer of 2022. He could drift wide if he replaces Balogun, but the US already have strength down his preferred right side with Weston McKennie, Alex Freeman, Dest and Tillman. Brenden Aaronson has seldom played striker, though he scored two when he started for Leeds as a center-forward in January. His work rate and ability to interchange on the fly with Pulisic and McKennie could dizzy a defense, although he doesn’t offer as much end product as alternatives.
Ricardo Pepi is the has been talked about the most as a replacement for Balogun. He started twice in the group stage and has come off the bench in the US’s other two matches. The striker scored 19 goals for PSV last season, but his tasks under Pochettino have largely been of the thankless variety. Pepi is a vital hold-up fulcrum for quick breaks and sustained sequences of possession alike, happy to use his frame to muscle off opponents. The question is whether he offers the best threat for this matchup. His back-to-goal industry can slow down the game, which plays into the hands of a less athletic Belgium team. Doing that work also can leave him trailing behind play when it really matters.
All of which opens the door for Haji Wright. Despite his star role in Coventry City’s promotion to the Premier League, Wright has logged one measly minute so far at this World Cup. He has refined his game over the last four years, particularly since Frank Lampard took over in November 2024. Wright is an adept channel-runner, able to get beyond a backline to offer options for his teammates when space is available. He’s crafty in close quarters, able to find space in the box even when opponents try to gum up shooting areas. In a physical league like the Championship, his threat intensified, even as opponents tailored gameplans to neutralize him.
There are also supplemental benefits to picking Wright, given his propensity to score when cutting infield from the left. Bosnia and Herzegovina did well to limit the US’s progression down the left, where the Americans had enjoyed plenty of success against Senegal in a pre-tournament friendly and against Paraguay to open their World Cup. Wright would be able to alternate zones seamlessly with Pulisic, a longtime close friend of his, and he scored the United States’ only knockout goal of the 2022 tournament (whether he meant to or not). There’s no like-for-like alternative to Balogun, but that was always unlikely given his blistering form. All that’s needed is the right alternative for a one-game assignment. A more nimble, direct option like Wright may make the most sense, especially knowing that Pepi can provide a capable spark off the bench.
