A kit clash between USA and Belgium was a sign of things to come for Mauricio Pochettino’s host squad, which was embarrassed in the second half.
Juventus star Weston McKennie made it 1-0 for the United States 39 minutes into the first half, getting on the end of Antonee Robinson’s corner at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
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But a porous USMNT defense — one player received a 3/10 rating — couldn’t hang with Belgium’s full-pitch speed in a humbling 5-2 defeat, which featured four second-half goals for the European opposition.
A forced mid-match ‘hydration break’ also threatened to overshadow the early progress of Mauricio Pochettino’s revamped USA starting XI against a Belgium side that featured Kevin De Bruyne and Jeremy Doku.
The surreal sight of white vs white kits was also a major story across social media, with supporters of both sides struggling to figure out who was who and which team was which.
USMNT debuted its new ‘Stars’ kit, which features bold red stripes on the front and echoes the famous look of the American flag.
eSPORTY understands that Belgium wanted the U.S. to play in its alternate kit, but the host nation refused.
The Athletic’s Adam Crafton has claimed that neither country had an alternate option at the venue and tried to source them from team hotels after kick-off, but it wasn’t possible.
“Whoever decided this was a smart idea is ridiculous,” one fan tweeted
“Who approved this kit matchup for the USA/Belgium Friendly? It’s truly unwatchable,” a second fan posted.
“This doesn’t even happen in a U-6 rec game,” a third fan wrote.
But it was a surreal ‘hydration break’ after 20 minutes of play — despite Mercedes-Benz Stadium having a closed roof — that undercut what was initially a back-and-forth match that became 2-1 to Belgium following goals by Zeno Debast and Amadou Onana.
“I didn’t (think) it could get more embarrassing after the uniform colors but here we are taking a hydration break inside an air-conditioned stadium. SMH!!!” a fan wrote.
Fans struggled to find star players on pitch
But with Belgium wearing jerseys that appeared white from a distance — and the USMNT shirt mostly white on the back side — it could be hard to separate the two teams on the pitch inside a stadium that normally houses the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons.
Robinson impressed throughout the first half for No. 15-ranked USA, slicing through Belgium’s defense and pushing hard down the left side of the pitch.
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Christian Pulisic also took a hard shot on goal, but it was McKennie who looked like a potential World Cup breakthrough player for USMNT.
“I wanna say likely their (Juventus) overall best player this year, but it’s because he’s been a utility player,” Tab Ramos, who recorded 81 caps and eight goals while representing the USA in three World Cups, exclusively told eSPORTY.
“He’s been able to play in a number of different positions. We need him to be in one position for our team and that’s that 8 that gets into the box and plays box to box, winning balls and actually getting goals for the team.
“If he has a good World Cup, we have a real good shot at doing really well.”
Chris Richards misses friendly due to injury
Matt Turner, Tanner Tessmann, Tim Ream (captain), Johnny Cardoso, Malik Tillman, Folarin Balogun, Tim Weah, Mark McKenzie, Robinson, McKennie and Pulisic started for USMNT.
Crystal Palace star Chris Richards, a key defender for the USA, missed the match as he continues to recover from a knee injury.
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Manchester City winger Doku was the most dangerous player on the pitch as he shredded Pochettino’s men, all while a second hydration break frustrated fans again.
Belgium dominated the second half, with Charles De Ketelaere making it 3-1 to the visitors from the penalty spot – six minutes after taking the lead.
It was Ream’s handball that gifted Belgium the chance to double the advantage, which was duly dispatched.
And it wasn’t long before it was 4-1 after Dodi Lukebakio curled home a left-footed strike in the top left corner in the 68th minute.
Lukebakio then added his second of the night in the 82nd minute to inflict a final blow on USA, before Patrick Agyemang scored a consolation strike five minutes later.
Pochettino will be looking for an instant response from his team when they face Portugal on Tuesday in a game that Cristiano Ronaldo is expected to miss.
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