The United States is set to face Belgium in the 2014 FIFA World Cup in the Round of 16 on July 1.
The USA managed to overcome the odds despite belonging to a group which includes Ghana and Portugal. Belgium won all three matches in their group. The game will commence at 4 p.m. EST and will be shown on ESPN. Live streaming will also be available online on ESPN and iTV. Viewing is free for ESPN subscribers.
In a report by Christian Today, both teams have a lot to prove even though they showed their survivor form in the group games. The United States only have one clean sheet in their previous 10 World Cup appearances. Belgium has the second lowest goal total of all 16 qualifiers into round two, with four goals. USA is expected to score from set pieces while Belgium has the advantage when it comes to open plays.
In an article on Fox Sports, JurgenKlinsmann, head coach of USA, shared that he is worried about referee DjamelHaimoudii. He said, "We hope it's not a concern. We know that he did already two games so far and he did them very well. We wish that he continues his refereeing the perfect way he's done so far." Particularly, Klinsmann was worried about Haimoudii speaking French, just like the Belgian team. He said, "Because he's coming from the same group with Belgium and Algeria. He's able to speak French with their players on the field, not with us. And it's the country that we beat in the last second of the last World Cup."
Marc Wilmots, coach of Belgium, said that he did not see any benefit that can be derived by a referee and his team speaking the same language. He said, "I rarely speak to referees. The three referees I've had at the start I never even spoke to. The referee isn't there for talking to, he's there to referee."
USA is expected to setup Clint Dempsey to penetrate the Belgian defense. They will find it more challenging to do so due to the absence of Jozy Altidore. Tim Howard, goalkeeper of the Americans have to be extra careful about the offensive power of their opponents. The Belgians are known to start strong and dominating the tempo of the game early on. The odds of Belgium winning are 17-20 while the odds of USA to win are 7-2.