Merino Breaks Hearts in Arlington
What a way to send a legend off. Cristiano Ronaldo's fifth and final World Cup came to an end in Arlington, Texas, and it took almost every second of the 90 minutes plus stoppage time for Spain to find the door. Mikel Merino, on from the bench, drilled home the winner in the first minute of injury time to send Spain through 1-0 and break Portuguese hearts in the Round of 16. Referee Anthony Taylor had barely more time left to blow his whistle after the restart.
It was cruel on Portugal, who matched Spain blow for blow for long stretches. Diogo Costa produced a stunning double save early on to deny both Lamine Yamal and Alex Baena, while at the other end Ronaldo himself won a penalty-box tussle with Rodri and forced a smart save out of Unai Simon from a tight angle. Nuno Mendes came closest of all in the first half, his deflected strike cannoning off the crossbar via Pedro Porro. Bernardo Silva will be seeing his late headed chance, glancing narrowly over off a Sergio Conceicao cross, in his nightmares for a while yet.
In the end it was Spain's bench that made the difference. Mikel Oyarzabal spurned a golden chance with 10 minutes left, dragging wide after Dani Olmo sent him clean through, but Merino made sure the miss didn't matter. At 41, Ronaldo walks away from the international stage as one of the greatest to ever play the game, and even his fiercest doubters had to admit he gave everything to drag Portugal through this tournament. Spain now march on to Los Angeles for a quarter-final date with whoever survived the night's second Round of 16 clash.
Seattle Goes Wild as Belgium Cut Loose
If Arlington gave us a slow-burning classic, Lumen Field in Seattle gave us fireworks. Belgium put on an early-tournament vintage performance to see off the United States 4-1 in front of 66,925 fans basking in 81-degree sunshine, and it was Charles De Ketelaere who did the early damage. The Club Brugge forward opened the scoring in the ninth minute, splitting American centre-backs Tim Ream and Antonee Robinson to finish off a slick move started by Dodi Lukebakio and Leandro Trossard.
The USA responded in style. Malik Tillman, in inspired form all tournament, curled a free kick that clipped Hans Vanaken's head and looped beyond Thibaut Courtois to level in the 31st minute — his second goal in as many matches. It lasted all of 61 seconds. Belgium restarted, worked the ball forward, and De Ketelaere struck again to make it 2-1, completing a first-half double that left the stadium stunned into silence.
Spare a thought for Matt Freese. The USA goalkeeper had made a couple of smart early stops, but on 57 minutes he charged out to punt a long ball clear, missed it completely, and watched helplessly as Vanaken rolled the loose ball into an empty net. Romelu Lukaku added a fourth in the third minute of stoppage time to put a full stop on the scoreline, and on Belgium's underused bench sat Jeremy Doku and Kevin De Bruyne, never even required.
A Tough Night for Pulisic and the Hosts
The result carried a genuine sting for American fans beyond the scoreline. Christian Pulisic, the USA's captain and biggest star, went down in the 52nd minute after his right foot collided with Youri Tielemans' boot as the Belgian midfielder attempted a shot. Pulisic tried to run it off but was withdrawn seven minutes later for Sebastian Berhalter, and he could only watch the rest of the game from the bench. The full extent of the injury wasn't yet clear by full time, but it capped a miserable evening for the co-hosts, who fall out of their own World Cup in the last 16 — their earliest exit since 2002.
There were flashes of fight from the Americans even as the game slipped away, with Weston McKennie and Tillman both picking up yellow cards for their efforts to stem the tide, and Berhalter forcing a save with a shot that flashed just wide in the second half. But this was Belgium's night through and through, their 18-game unbeaten run stretching on and their front three looking every bit the part of dark horses. They'll fancy their chances against Spain in the last eight, with De Bruyne and Doku both fresh and itching to get involved.
Looking Ahead
Two Round of 16 ties, two statements. Spain proved they can win ugly as well as beautiful, grinding out a result against a Portugal side that refused to go quietly. Belgium proved they can be ruthless when the chances come, punishing American mistakes with clinical edge. The quarter-final between these two heavyweights in Los Angeles is shaping up to be one of the ties of the tournament, and after a day like this, nobody watching will want to miss it.