Former USA soccer player previews US match against Belgium
Former USMNT defender Jonathan Bornstein previews the national team’s FIFA World Cup match against Belgium. Bornstein asserts this current generation is the most talented USMNT squad ever, featuring players from top European clubs. He explains how the team’s exciting run is accelerating soccer’s growth and popularity across America, inspiring young fans.
If you missed the World Cup games last night, you probably missed the best game of the entire tournament. Even the first game between Norway and Brazil was fantastic. It is always fun seeing the best players do their thing and dominate games. Erling Haaland did that for Norway, heading in the first goal, and then booting a blast past everyone for a goal. It was quite impressive.
Mexico and England followed that performance up with the game of the World Cup. England was down to 10 players for almost half of the game and seemingly played defense the rest of the night. They won 3-2 with both teams getting a penalty kick. It was fantastic. Today’s games do have the potential to meet or exceed yesterday’s games, but it will be a tough task. We went 1-1 in the games, and I’m hoping no matter how much fun the games are to watch, today is one we get 2-0 in betting.
Spain’s Nolito, left, duels for the ball with Juanfran during a training session at the Sports Complex Marcel Gaillard in Saint Martin de Re in France, Sunday, June 19, 2016. Spain will face Croatia in a Euro 2016 Group D soccer match in Bordeaux on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
Portugal vs. Spain
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If you want to look at this game from the team that FIFA would probably prefer to have win, it would be Portugal. They have one of the most well-known players in the world in Cristiano Ronaldo. He has had quite a bit of conversation around him during this World Cup. Many are saying he is hurting the team, and he really hasn’t had a fantastic Cup. He does have three goals, two of which came against Uzbekistan, and one came in his last game against Croatia. Portugal has won both games he has scored in and had draws in the other two matches.
Spain is the favorite to win this game in 90 minutes at -110. After opening the World Cup with a draw at 0-0 against Cape Verde, they seem like they’ve found their way. In their last three games, they’ve won against Saudi Arabia, Uruguay, and Austria. None of those teams are all that impressive, and Portugal should be the stiffest competition that Spain has had to face in the World Cup. Overall, Spain is up 8-0 on goals in their four games. There have not been many upsets in the Round of 32 or even 16, but I think there is a good possibility for it to happen with Portugal today. Spain is the better team, but they haven’t faced that tough of competition. I’m going to take a swing on Portugal at +295 for the 90 minute moneyline.
Antonee “Jedi” Robinson is one of the top defenders on the USMNT roster. (Kirby Lee-Imagn Images)
USA vs. Belgium
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So… there was some news yesterday. The United States, which had one of its best players on the team, Folarin Balogun, had his suspension suspended for this game. This news was a big deal for the US, but it also has Belgium up in arms. Balogun scored in the USA’s previous match in the Round of 32, but then, not much later in the match, he was given a red card for spiking someone. It was clearly an accident; there was no intent whatsoever. We know the US has had a decent draw as the host country, but this should be a tough game for them.
Belgium has some right to be upset, but this has happened before. FIFA has done something similarly so that Ronaldo could play in the World Cup. They started their tournament with back-to-back draws over Egypt and Iran. Then they broke open with a win over New Zealand, and then beat Senegal 3-2 in the Round of 32. It is interesting because they haven’t been elite in the tournament, but they are a good team. America was given a gift of getting Balogun back, and I think Belgium has mentally focused on this addition too much at this point. The US looks good, but they definitely have some cracks that need to be filled. I think this game will be a bit chippy, but I also think that they both will be decent with scoring. I’m going to back the over 3 at +100.
Folarin Balogun of the U.S. celebrates scoring their first goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 match against Bosnia and Herzegovina in Santa Clara, California. (Phil Noble / Reuters via Imagn Images)
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