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What To Expect From Team USA's Face Off With Belgium

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United States' Jozy Altidore, Fabian Johnson and Jermaine Jones work out during a training session Monday, June 30. (Julio Cortez/AP)
United States' Jozy Altidore, Fabian Johnson and Jermaine Jones work out during a training session Monday, June 30. (Julio Cortez/AP)

At 4 p.m. Tuesday, the U.S. men's soccer team faces Belgium in the World Cup. It could be their biggest game yet, because this is the knock-out round. No ties. Just one winner and one loser — even if it takes extra time and a penalty shoot-out. If the U.S. wins, the squad moves to the quarter-finals. That's as far as the Americans have ever advanced in the World Cup. But, that's a big if, since the U.S. is facing a very talented Belgium team.

Guest

Karen Given, producer at NPR's Only A Game. She tweets @klgiven.

Jack Lepiarz, WBUR reporter. He tweets @Lepiarz.

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CBS News: World Cup 2014: What To Watch For In U.S. Vs. Belgium

  • "The stakes are high, but still expect the United States to show a more attacking game against Belgium after lacking bite so far in the tournament. The Americans only managed the second-lowest number of attacks out of the 32 teams during the group stage, with just 72."

The Daily Beast: Will Jozy Altidore Be Team USA’s World Cup Savior Vs. Belgium?

  • "The mere sight of Altidore jogging—some would say trotting—during Friday’s practice set off a flurry of excited chatter among devoted football aficionados. One headline even read, 'Jozy Altidore is Jogging,' which sounds like a bizarre Tumblr."

The New York Times: A Long-Running Battle For Supremacy Continues

  • "Belgium and the United States are preparing to face off Tuesday in Salvador, Brazil, in the World Cup, but few realize just how many battles for supremacy these two nations have already fought, in and out of the sports world. Despite a population gap of more than 290 million, Belgians and Americans have proved to be worthy adversaries."

This segment aired on July 1, 2014.

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