US face Belgium in Seattle with World Cup expectations rising

A different kind of Monday Night Football comes to Seattle when the U.S. face Belgium for a place in the World Cup quarter-finals, with an American side carrying rising expectations into a meeting with one of Europe's most experienced teams.

The ‌match at the Seattle Seahawks' home stadium, one of the loudest venues in the NFL, is expected to provide a raucous backdrop for a U.S. team whose tournament ambitions have grown with each performance.

Before the World Cup, many U.S. supporters viewed a place in the last 16 as a reasonable target.

However, wins over Paraguay and Australia in the group stage, followed ⁠by a 2-0 victory over Bosnia despite playing the final 36 minutes with 10 men, have raised hopes that Mauricio Pochettino's side can make a deeper run on home soil.

Belgium, by contrast, have yet to fully convince.

The European side needed a late escape against Senegal, trailing for the majority of the match before scoring twice to level and then advancing after a VAR-assisted penalty decision in extra time that left Senegal frustrated.

For Belgium, the tournament may represent the final World Cup act for the country's so-called "Golden Generation," led by Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku and Thibaut Courtois.

The U.S. defence, ‌regarded ⁠as a potential weakness before the tournament but impressive against Bosnia, will also likely have to contain Jeremy Doku, who is due for a breakout performance after a subdued display so far in the tournament.

US OUT FOR REVENGE

The meeting carries echoes of 2014, when Belgium knocked the U.S. out in the last 16 after extra ⁠time in Brazil, a match remembered for Tim Howard's record-setting goalkeeping performance, making 16 saves, and a late American rally that fell just short.

This time, the U.S. will be without striker Folarin Balogun, who scored in ⁠the first half against Bosnia before receiving a red card in the second half. His suspension leaves Pochettino with a key selection decision as the Americans try to extend a campaign that has ⁠captured national attention.

"As a team we want to leave our mark on the game and a legacy behind," U.S. midfielder Tyler Adams said.

"We know that the further we go, the more the game is going to grow."