Belgium vs USA live scores, odds, results, teams – Soccer, Football FIFA World Cup 2014

Salvador, and an eagerly awaited encounter is cued up and ready as the USA, who have exceeded all expectations at this year’s tournament travel to the Arena Fonte Nova to take on dark horses Belgium. Belgium are perhaps beginning to creak under the pressure, with  injuries to captain Vincent Kompany and Thomas Vermaelen, giving coach Marc Wilmots a massive, massive defensive headache. Defenders Laurent Ciman and Anthony Vanden Borre are also ruled out through injury meaning that a total of four defensive players are ineligible for selection by Wilmots this evening. Wilmots is also without midfielder Steven Defour who has been banned for one match after being given his marching orders against the Korean Republic. Meanwhile in the USA camp, Jozy Altidore has returned for selection after recovering from a hamstring injury that has seen him miss the last two games. Given the USA’s fine form however, Jurgen Klinsmann may opt to leave him on the bench. Klinsmann has a full squad available to choose from for tonight’s game, and owing to Belgium’s defensive woes, look strong candidates to run out eventual winners.

Special Offer: BET LIVE on Belgium vs USA + a $200 FREE BET

Belgium coach Marc Wilmots has hailed his US counterpart, Jurgen Klinsmann saying that he has brought the German mentality to the USA camp and admitted that he gave his players a warning thus: “Physically, they are very strong. We must prepare for a war.” This is not to say that Wilmots feels in any way intimidated by his German friend’s side, as he does have plenty of strength in his own squad, and has recently said that they plan to play more expansively than before. He said: “I am convinced that our level is going to be better. We are fresh and now that we have reached the second round, we can play freely.” The Reds have actually broken one of their own records in the tournament group stages, in that they have finished with maximum points for the first time ever, even though Wilmots by his own admission has played a very restricted style of football to get there. In the USA, Jurgen Klinsmann was slated in the country’s media for being too “Un-American” when he told the press that reaching the final of the tournament was “unrealistic”. That  tune seems to have changed now however, with Klinsmann now hailing his side’s achievements. “We have enough confidence going into this game now”, he said.  “It’s a very special game, a knockout. We have absolutely no fear at all. We feel like we are now in a position to challenge. We believe we have built a foundation in our team that we are able to beat them.”

While the USA believe they have the tactical and physical nous to do the job against the Red Devils later, many pundits will be quick to point out that the Belgian side has seventeen players who weren’t even born the last time that their country got this far in the tournament, and that if anything, that inexperience will be a boon to the Americans and a curse for the Belgians in a game that offensively is already stacked in the Americans’ favour, given the lack of defenders available to Marc Wilmots.

Stay up to date with the latest sports news
Follow our social accounts to get exclusive content and all the latest sporting news!