It was, by his own admission and beyond a shadow of a doubt, the crowning night of Charles De Ketelaere’s football career to date. On the biggest of stages, with the whole world watching on, the Atalanta star and his team-mates delivered a statement display to dispatch co-hosts the USA.
Indeed, it was a complete team performance from Rudi Garcia’s side, who secured their spot in the quarter-finals with plenty of sparkle and a minimum of fuss in . Yet one man stood out above the rest: De Ketelaere, who got the not to start the game ahead of Romelu Lukaku due to his all-action style, and repaid his coach’s faith in spades.
The paved the way for the 2018 bronze medallists with a pair of poacher’s finishes prior to the interval. The first was a tap-in to break the deadlock inside the opening ten minutes, while the second, a towering header shortly after the half-hour mark, crucially served to restore Belgium’s lead before the dust had even settled following the USA’s equaliser.
However, beyond the goals, De Ketelaere led the line with distinction, providing an option and an outlet for the Red Devils throughout thanks to his relentless running and intelligent movement.
"It’s a fantastic feeling to have produced a performance like this in the knockout stages; it’s really special. I’m thrilled that we’re through to the next round. This is definitely the highlight of my career so far," the 25-year-old enthused in the mixed zone after the game.
"There are so many positives to take away from this game both for the squad as a whole and for me personally, and we’ll be brimming with confidence going into the Spain match."
De Ketalaere’s inclusion was not the only big selection call to pay off for Garcia, with Dodi Lukebakio and Nicolas Raskin impressing after being preferred to heavyweight duo Kevin De Bruyne and Jeremy Doku from the outset, also on account of their dynamism. However, the tactician stressed during his post-match press conference that – whatever the line-up – his team would remain true to their forward-thinking identity: "We’ll always look to play our own game rather than being defensive with a view to containing the opposition."
Speaking exclusively to FIFA, beaming Red Devils skipper Youri Tielemans underscored the depth of talent in the Belgian camp.
"We’re delighted with the victory," the Aston Villa midfielder said. "We played extremely well and showed real intensity and togetherness, which is vital for us. I think all the players picked by the gaffer did a great job today, and that just goes to show the strength of our squad. We want to keep performing and win our next match too, but we know Spain will be very tough to beat."
For his part, Thibaut Courtois hailed how his side had executed their game plan and forced Mauricio Pochettino’s charges onto the back foot.
"We wanted to put them under pressure right from the off and create chances, and that’s exactly what we did. I think they started doubting themselves," Courtois said. The veteran goalkeeper also echoed his coach’s suggestion that the USA players may still have been nursing scars from the friendly between the nations back in March, which ended 5-2 in the Belgians’ favour. "That was probably in the back of their minds, Courtois added. "Once we got the first goal, we were in total control of the match.”
Buoyed not just by this win but also by the manner of it, De Ketelaere, Tielemans, Courtois and the rest of the Belgium players will know that another red-hot display will now likely be required if they are to triumph over Luis de la Fuente’s La Roja – the reigning European champions – .
Sources: FIFA Official
