Honestly, I had been waiting for this World Cup for years, and as the USA made it to the Round of 16, I thought, "Could we possibly make it to the quarterfinals this time?"

However, the result against Belgium was a crushing 1-4 defeat. What was more disappointing than the score was the way the game unfolded.

Belgium played a mechanical game, creating chances and scoring, while the USA couldn't maintain their momentum.

When Malik Tillman scored the equalizer at 1-0 down, the atmosphere was electric.

"Now that we've equalized, we just need one more goal to turn the tide!" But Belgium remained unfazed.

After regaining the lead with another goal, they controlled the game entirely. To be fair, Belgium was always considered a step above the USA.

In the 2014 Brazil World Cup, the USA also lost to Belgium 1-2 after extra time, and this defeat continued that trend.

However, this match garnered more attention for reasons beyond the gameplay.

American forward Folarin Balogun was originally set to miss the match against Belgium due to a red card in the Bosnia game.

But just before the match, FIFA lifted the suspension, allowing him to play. It was revealed that President Donald Trump had requested FIFA President Gianni Infantino to reconsider the suspension.

FIFA explained that an "independent judicial body made the decision."

However, the European football community and Belgium raised strong objections regarding fairness.

Personally, I believe this controversy did not help the US national team. In a World Cup held at home, they should win on skill and earn applause, but the ongoing disciplinary controversy overshadowed the game with off-field issues.

What was even more disappointing was that Balogun played but couldn't change the flow of the game. Ultimately, football is decided by the players on the field, and the results reflect their skills. Belgium had better organization and decisiveness than the USA.

A friend who attended the match shared another surprising detail: the ticket prices.

The lowest ticket for the USA-Belgium match exceeded $3,000, and while prices dropped significantly just before the game, the cheapest tickets were still around $1,500.

Some analyses indicated that the average transaction price exceeded $2,500. The day before the match, some tickets dropped to around $1,280, but it was still a hefty price.

Nevertheless, the atmosphere in the stadium was truly amazing. People with different political views came together, waving American flags, a sight only seen at the World Cup. Although the match result was disappointing, I believe Seattle demonstrated how much soccer enthusiasm it could showcase as a World Cup host city.

The score of 1-4 is painful, but it seems to honestly reflect the current reality of American soccer.