United States routed by Belgium in World Cup prep
With the World Cup just around the corner, the U.S. men's national team's year began on a sour note with them being routed 5-2 by Belgium.
With the 2026 World Cup just around the corner, the U. S. men's national team's debut this year began on a sour note with them being routed 5-2 by Belgium in Atlanta on Saturday.
The U. S. had a 4-0-1 record in its final five matches last year and looked to be in form Saturday when Weston McKennie gave the Americans the lead in the 39th minute.
Then, everything unraveled quickly on goals by Zeno Debast in the 45th, Amadou Onana in the 53rd and a penalty from Charles De Ketelaere in the 59th before Dodi Lukebakio increased the advantage in the 68th and 82nd minutes. Patrick Agyemang made it 5-2 in the 87th after a Ricardo Pepi takeaway in front of the Belgium goal. The U.
S. opens World Cup play on June 12 vs. Paraguay, but coach Mauricio Pochettino is more concerned with the match against Portugal on Tuesday, also in Atlanta, which will be his final chance for evaluation within the U.