Romelu Lukaku carved his name in: FIFA World Cup history as Belgium advanced to the quarter-finals with a commanding 4-1 victory over the United States, becoming the first player to score as a substitute in four different World Cup games.The prolific striker came off the bench late in the second half and needed just one shot to make his mark, firing home Belgium’s fourth goal in stoppage time to cap off another fierce cameo. It also extends a remarkable run of efficiency for the veteran striker, who has now scored his only shot in each of his last three World Cup appearances – against New Zealand, Senegal and now the United States.While Charles De Ketelaere stole the headlines with two goals and an assist, Lukaku’s late strike ensured he entered the tournament’s record books as Belgium set up a blockbuster quarter-final clash against Spain.Romelu Lukaku in his last three World Cup matches
- against New Zealand. 1 shot, 1 goal
- against Senegal. 1 shot, 1 goal
- against USA: 1 shot, 1 goal
Belgium punished defensive mistakes
The United States went into the knockout clash boosted by the availability of Folarin Balogun after FIFA controversially overturned his one-match suspension, but Mauricio Pochettino’s side could not recover from a series of costly defensive errors.Belgium took the lead in the eighth minute when De Ketelaere finished off a quick move before Malik Tillman restored parity with a superb free-kick in the 31st minute.The celebrations lasted almost a minute. Just 61 seconds after the restart, De Ketelaere put Belgium back in front before turning provider for Hans Vanaken, whose effort followed a costly error from goalkeeper Matt Freese early in the second half.Lukaku, introduced in the 67th minute, completed the rout in stoppage time after Chris Richards handed over possession, calmly finishing for his 93rd international goal.
Pochettino regrets not having the opportunity
The defeat ended a promising World Cup campaign for the co-hosts, who once again fell at the Round of 16 hurdle.“Everyone saw from the beginning that we were not connected in the game,” US coach Mauricio Pochettino said after the match. “It’s a process to learn. We have to analyze that game and we have to see why we didn’t approach the game in the same way that (we approached) the rest of the World Cup.”The defeat also magnified an unwelcome trend for Americans. The USA have now been eliminated in the Round of 16 in six of their seven matches at that stage of the FIFA World Cup, including each of their last four knockout appearances.Belgium, meanwhile, stretched their unbeaten run to 18 games and advanced to face 2010 champions Spain in the quarter-finals.For Lukaku, however, the night belonged to history. One substitute appearance, one shot and one goal was all he needed to become the first player to score as a substitute in four different FIFA World Cup matches, underlining once again why he remains one of the most destructive players in international football.