USA coach Mauricio Pochettino kicks Powerade bottles in frustration as team's first half defense looks shaky

Team USA did not person the first-half commencement they were hoping for against Belgium successful the Round of 16, and caput manager Mauricio Pochettino displayed immoderate rightful vexation due to the fact that of it.

Belgium sent a daze to the USA strategy not adjacent 10 minutes into the lucifer erstwhile Charles De Ketelaere tapped successful a shot served close successful beforehand of Matt Freese’s nett and sent a soundless murmur implicit the sold-out Seattle Stadium crowd.

But things felt backmost to mean erstwhile Malik Tillman, who scored a escaped footwear successful the 2nd fractional against Bosnia and Herzegovina successful the Round of 32, did it again. Tillman buried his changeable past legendary Belgian keeper Thibaut Courtois acknowledgment to a deflection disconnected 1 of Belgium’s defenders.

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Mauricio Pochettino, Manager of the United States during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 lucifer betwixt USA and Belgium astatine Seattle Stadium connected July 6, 2026 successful Seattle, United States. (Jane Gershovich/ISI Photos)

That was successful the 31st minute, but Pochettino’s show of vexation came aft the U.S. conceded their 2nd extremity conscionable 2 minutes later.

It was De Ketelaere erstwhile again, this clip leaping implicit seasoned defender Tim Ream and utilizing his caput to spot the shot successful the backmost of the net.

THANKS TO TRUMP, A RESTED TEAM USA HAS THE ULTIMATE EDGE OVER A FURIOUS BELGIUM IN THE 2026 WORLD CUP

As Belgium celebrated, Pochettino walked implicit to his seat and fto retired his displeasure with what helium conscionable witnessed connected the transportation with a close footwear to the Powerade bottles connected the ground.

That’s the benignant of fractional it was for Team USA, which went into halftime with a batch to spell implicit earlier the 2nd fractional begins.

Mauricio Pochettino Manager / Head Coach of USA during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 lucifer betwixt USA and Belgium astatine Seattle Stadium connected July 6, 2026 successful Seattle, United States. (Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA)

While possession was comparatively adjacent – Belgium owned it 53% to the USMNT’s 47% -- it was wide the Belgians had the vantage successful the violative end. They finished the fractional with 5 shots connected extremity to conscionable 1 from the U.S. They besides created 4 large chances, meaning this crippled could’ve been a batch further distant for the U.S. than the scoreboard says astatine the moment.

The USMNT volition request amended play each astir if they privation to determination connected to the quarterfinals to conscionable Spain and support their World Cup rubric dreams alive. If they tin bash so, they would go conscionable the 2nd squad successful U.S. past to get it done, arsenic lone the squad successful 2002 was capable to scope the quarterfinals successful this modern FIFA World Cup format.

Mauricio Pochettino Manager / Head Coach of USA during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 lucifer betwixt USA and Belgium astatine Seattle Stadium connected July 6, 2026 successful Seattle, United States. (Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA)

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Pochettino whitethorn fto retired much frustrations successful the locker room, but it’s wide the manager mightiness person to get clever with Belgium owning the momentum aft the archetypal 45 minutes.

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