Belgium Reaches World Cup Last 8 With 4-1 USA Win as Spain Test Looms

3 articles · Updated · bbc.co.uk · Jul 10

Belgium booked a quarter-final against Spain after a 4-1 last-16 win over the United States, following a dramatic comeback from 2-0 down late against Senegal in the previous round.
4 goals against the USA capped Belgium's sharp turnaround from a mediocre start, with Rudi Garcia blending holdovers from the golden generation with younger players carrying more of the workload.
Thibaut Courtois has played every minute, while 33-year-old Romelu Lukaku has scored 3 goals in under half the available minutes and Kevin de Bruyne's injury has coincided with 7 Belgian goals in about 130 minutes.
Leandro Trossard has driven much of the attack, creating a tournament-high 17 chances, while Charles De Ketelaere, Hans Vanaken and captain Youri Tielemans have added goals and assists.
Belgium's mix of veteran leadership, younger contributors and multilingual dressing-room cohesion now faces its biggest test yet against Spain for a semi-final place.