# Christian Pulisic and Chris Richards in Tears as USMNT Freeze and Belgium End World Cup Dream

Belgium did not eliminate the United States. The United States eliminated the United States. Belgium just turned up and collected the points.

Pulisic was brilliant. He was the only American on that pitch who looked like he belonged at a World Cup at this level. Two chances in the first half. One post, one save that nobody outside of Belgium will give Sels enough credit for. He ran hard, he pressed hard, he dragged that midfield up the pitch by sheer force of will. And when the final whistle went, he sat on the turf and wept. You understood it completely. He has given everything to this shirt for years and this is what he got back.

Richards was the same. Composed for the most part. Then one moment — De Bruyne's ball in behind — and it all unravelled.

The Midfield Was the Problem From Minute One

America's midfield did not compete. Not for large stretches of this match. Belgium recycled possession calmly, moved the ball into half-spaces, and the USMNT press — which was supposed to be their identity, their whole thing under this setup — broke down every time Belgium played through the first line.

Weston McKennie had one of those performances where you wonder if he's fully fit or just not at this level anymore. Neither question is comfortable. He was second to every ball. He gave it away cheaply four times in the first thirty minutes. In a knockout game at a World Cup, that is unacceptable. Full stop.

De Bruyne is 35 and still running the show. That should embarrass a midfield with a lower average age by about six years.

The Tactical Decision That Killed Them

The manager set up to contain. At a World Cup knockout stage, against a Belgium side that has been creaking for two tournaments now, the decision was to sit and absorb. That was wrong. Belgium are old. Their legs go after 65 minutes. Push them early, press their centre-backs — Faes and Vertonghen are not comfortable under pressure — and you make this a different match.

Instead, USMNT let Belgium dictate the tempo for the first half hour. By the time America woke up, Belgium had their goal, their shape, and their confidence. You cannot gift a Kevin De Bruyne team that kind of territory and then act surprised when he punishes you.

The winning goal was almost painfully simple. Switch of play, one-two on the edge of the box, clinical finish. No panic in Belgium's execution. No resistance in America's shape. Just a team that knew exactly what it was doing against a team that had forgotten.

What This Means for the Programme

This squad is not a bad squad. Let's be straight about that. Pulisic is a proper player. Folarin Balogun has shown enough at club level to give real hope up top. Richards, when he's settled, is a decent international centre-back. The bones are there.

But there is a ceiling question now that cannot be avoided. How many tournament cycles does USMNT go through with genuine talent and keep falling short at this same stage? The 2022 exit hurt. This one — on home soil, in front of their own fans — is going to hurt far longer.

The structural problems are real. Player development. Domestic football culture at youth level. Coaching quality below international standard. These are not new conversations, but they become louder every time a tournament ends like this.

Our Verdict

Pulisic deserved a better team around him today. Not better individuals, necessarily — a better collective. More courage. More clarity. More fight.

Belgium go through because they were organised, experienced, and smart. America go home because they were passive when they needed to be brave.

Those tears from Pulisic and Richards were the most honest thing on that pitch. They knew exactly what had just slipped away. So did everyone watching.

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Image via [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_Pulisic) / Wikimedia Commons