A round of sixteen clash that features two confident teams: an already battle-tested group of Americans and a Belgian team that is trying to escape their 'great on paper' label. With both squads possibly missing a key player, whichever team scores their fifth goal in the tournament will have high hopes of progressing.
TWO BIG IFS: ALTIDORE & KOMPANY
With Jozy Altidore back in training, the USA's tactical formation hinges on whether or not he is ready to start.
In pre-tournament friendlies the USA looked increasingly effective in their somewhat unique 4-4-2 midfield diam ond formation, with Bradley starring as a ball-winning distributor. In the USA's last two games, however, they have lined up in a 4-2-3-1, with Jones seeming to benefit from being deployed in a more central role as one of two holding midfielders.
While it's hard to criticize someone who's outrun every other player in the World Cup, Bradley has given the ball away frequently and has slipped during the group stages from being his team's clear fulcrum. Jones' performances have been admirable, but the calmness in possession the USA demonstrated during Bradley's time atop a midfield diamond has been missing, and an isolated Dempsey has struggled to stay involved.
The USA's defense has remained relatively compact in either formation, yet in the 4-4-2 they pressured their opponent higher up the pitch than in their 4-2-3-1, where they have sat back and conceded opponents 61% of possession. While the US have been strong, last-ditch defenders for a decade, they are now capable of more proactive approach.
While Klinsmann may have a curveball or two to throw if the US lines up with a midfield diamond (such as Cameron as right fullback with Johnson moving up to the right side of the diamond), in a 4-2-3-1 expect to see the same lineup as their game vs Germany but with Bedoya fielded instead of Davis on the left.
Belgium have two injured defenders sure to miss out in Thomas Vermaelen and Anthony Vanden Borre, and a crucial doubt about captain Vincent Company. While Eden Hazard is billed as the star of Belgium's young attacking contingent, their clear strength has been their tournament-leading stinginess on defense, with Manchester City's Kompany the key personality. Coupled with a looming but past-his-prime Van Buyten in the center of Belgium's defense, the two imposing figures make an aerial attack seem pointless, and they have allowed only a single goal against Algeria thus far.
Without him, Belgium face a situation where three central defenders would need to fill in for one center back and the right fullback. Jan Vertonghen--who has looked more comfortable than any of Germany's deputized center-backs going forward from wide--may slide over into Kompany's place, with either Lombaerts or Ciman to play fullback.
Since neither is an attractive option on the flank, Wilmots may elect to keep Vertonghen wide left, and trust the experienced Zenit defender Lombaerts to try and maintain Belgium's' defensive integrity.
While not exactly a desperate situation, Kompany is far from replaceable, and their identity on defense could suffer much the same way the USA's offensive identity has since Altidore's hamstring injury.
RIVAL HOLDER DUOS: AFROS VS RASTAS
If the USA lines up in a 4-2-3-1, and the Belgium coach goes with Fellaini instead of Dembele, their will be a pair of defensive midfielders on each side of the ball involved in a crucial, mostly indirect battle.
Jones and Beckerman will be tasked with slowing down Belgium's tricky wingers Hazard and Mertens--especially Hazard who will tend to cut into the center of the field. If Chadli is preferred over Martens, they will face another player who prefers coming inside off the wing.
Like his name implies, Hazard poses a threat and had his strongest season to date for Chelsea this year, yet he remains an unpredictable, temperamental character who once was red-carded for viciously kicking a 17-year-old Swansea ball-boy in the ribs. Beckerman will most likely choose a physical approach with the young Belgian starlet--as he has been known to do thus far in Brazil--and this match-up is one to watch.
Fellaini is a holder who likes to get further up the pitch and often arrives inside the opponent's box if there's the potential of a cross. What he leaves behind is where Dempsey will most likely find his pocket of space. The USA will need to get him the ball quickly--something they've struggled to do--and he'll most likely need to shed Witsel before attempting to do damage.
A DOSE OF KLINSMANN-ESQUE REALISM
While the tactless or tactful German (depending on who you ask) has come out and said that his side can win this contest, it should be understood that they remain clear underdogs.
The Belgian line-up on paper is one of the three most complete in the competition, with only France, and (eliminated) Spain having every position covered so well. The Germans envy their fullbacks and Brazil their strikers, while Argentina and Holland are far from being as complete. In addition, their lack of a dominant performance has somehow overshadowed the success of their defense, and they enter the round of sixteen distinctly underrated.
You have to dig deep to find statistics that give the USA the edge, and even so what you come up with is that the USA has a better shot conversion percentage (17.4%) than Belgium (11.1%), which of course also points to how few shots the USA takes--only Iran was worse.
A perhaps more interesting statistic is that the USA has caught opponents offsides thirteen times (3rd from best) while Belgium has only done so twice (3rd from worst).
This indicates the type of football played by the two teams' opponents more than anything else, but obviously the US is the more battle-tested unit, something which can not be overlooked. While Belgium got past Africa's best team in impressive fashion after falling a goal behind early, all of the USA's first round opponents expected to beat them.
It will be interesting to see who maintains possession in this game, with both teams built to counter-attack stronger sides, and both teams arriving confident.
TWO BIG IFS: ALTIDORE & KOMPANY
With Jozy Altidore back in training, the USA's tactical formation hinges on whether or not he is ready to start.
In pre-tournament friendlies the USA looked increasingly effective in their somewhat unique 4-4-2 midfield diam ond formation, with Bradley starring as a ball-winning distributor. In the USA's last two games, however, they have lined up in a 4-2-3-1, with Jones seeming to benefit from being deployed in a more central role as one of two holding midfielders.
While it's hard to criticize someone who's outrun every other player in the World Cup, Bradley has given the ball away frequently and has slipped during the group stages from being his team's clear fulcrum. Jones' performances have been admirable, but the calmness in possession the USA demonstrated during Bradley's time atop a midfield diamond has been missing, and an isolated Dempsey has struggled to stay involved.
The USA's defense has remained relatively compact in either formation, yet in the 4-4-2 they pressured their opponent higher up the pitch than in their 4-2-3-1, where they have sat back and conceded opponents 61% of possession. While the US have been strong, last-ditch defenders for a decade, they are now capable of more proactive approach.
While Klinsmann may have a curveball or two to throw if the US lines up with a midfield diamond (such as Cameron as right fullback with Johnson moving up to the right side of the diamond), in a 4-2-3-1 expect to see the same lineup as their game vs Germany but with Bedoya fielded instead of Davis on the left.
Belgium have two injured defenders sure to miss out in Thomas Vermaelen and Anthony Vanden Borre, and a crucial doubt about captain Vincent Company. While Eden Hazard is billed as the star of Belgium's young attacking contingent, their clear strength has been their tournament-leading stinginess on defense, with Manchester City's Kompany the key personality. Coupled with a looming but past-his-prime Van Buyten in the center of Belgium's defense, the two imposing figures make an aerial attack seem pointless, and they have allowed only a single goal against Algeria thus far.
Without him, Belgium face a situation where three central defenders would need to fill in for one center back and the right fullback. Jan Vertonghen--who has looked more comfortable than any of Germany's deputized center-backs going forward from wide--may slide over into Kompany's place, with either Lombaerts or Ciman to play fullback.
Since neither is an attractive option on the flank, Wilmots may elect to keep Vertonghen wide left, and trust the experienced Zenit defender Lombaerts to try and maintain Belgium's' defensive integrity.
While not exactly a desperate situation, Kompany is far from replaceable, and their identity on defense could suffer much the same way the USA's offensive identity has since Altidore's hamstring injury.
RIVAL HOLDER DUOS: AFROS VS RASTAS
If the USA lines up in a 4-2-3-1, and the Belgium coach goes with Fellaini instead of Dembele, their will be a pair of defensive midfielders on each side of the ball involved in a crucial, mostly indirect battle.
Jones and Beckerman will be tasked with slowing down Belgium's tricky wingers Hazard and Mertens--especially Hazard who will tend to cut into the center of the field. If Chadli is preferred over Martens, they will face another player who prefers coming inside off the wing.
Like his name implies, Hazard poses a threat and had his strongest season to date for Chelsea this year, yet he remains an unpredictable, temperamental character who once was red-carded for viciously kicking a 17-year-old Swansea ball-boy in the ribs. Beckerman will most likely choose a physical approach with the young Belgian starlet--as he has been known to do thus far in Brazil--and this match-up is one to watch.
Fellaini is a holder who likes to get further up the pitch and often arrives inside the opponent's box if there's the potential of a cross. What he leaves behind is where Dempsey will most likely find his pocket of space. The USA will need to get him the ball quickly--something they've struggled to do--and he'll most likely need to shed Witsel before attempting to do damage.
A DOSE OF KLINSMANN-ESQUE REALISM
While the tactless or tactful German (depending on who you ask) has come out and said that his side can win this contest, it should be understood that they remain clear underdogs.
The Belgian line-up on paper is one of the three most complete in the competition, with only France, and (eliminated) Spain having every position covered so well. The Germans envy their fullbacks and Brazil their strikers, while Argentina and Holland are far from being as complete. In addition, their lack of a dominant performance has somehow overshadowed the success of their defense, and they enter the round of sixteen distinctly underrated.
You have to dig deep to find statistics that give the USA the edge, and even so what you come up with is that the USA has a better shot conversion percentage (17.4%) than Belgium (11.1%), which of course also points to how few shots the USA takes--only Iran was worse.
A perhaps more interesting statistic is that the USA has caught opponents offsides thirteen times (3rd from best) while Belgium has only done so twice (3rd from worst).
This indicates the type of football played by the two teams' opponents more than anything else, but obviously the US is the more battle-tested unit, something which can not be overlooked. While Belgium got past Africa's best team in impressive fashion after falling a goal behind early, all of the USA's first round opponents expected to beat them.
It will be interesting to see who maintains possession in this game, with both teams built to counter-attack stronger sides, and both teams arriving confident.