Charles De Ketelaere just had the kind of evening that footballers dream about during boring tactical meetings and gruelling fitness drills. On the grandest platform imaginable, with the entire planet tuned in, the Atalanta forward delivered a masterclass that left co-hosts the USA wondering whether they had accidentally wandered into the wrong fixture. Belgium swatted aside the Americans 4-1 in a display that was equal parts ruthless and stylish, and De Ketelaere was the undisputed conductor of this particular orchestra.
Selected ahead of Romelu Lukaku - yes, that Romelu Lukaku - on the basis of his relentless energy and intelligent movement, the 25-year-old rewarded coach Rudi Garcia's bold selection with two first-half finishes that set the tone. The first was a simple tap-in inside ten minutes that broke the deadlock and probably settled a few Belgian nerves. The second was a thumping header shortly after the half-hour mark, arriving at exactly the moment the USA had briefly dared to believe they were back in the contest following their equaliser. It was the kind of one-two punch that leaves opponents staring at each other wondering what hit them.
De Ketelaere was not shy about admitting this was the finest night of his professional life, grinning from ear to ear as he spoke about how special it felt to deliver in the knockout rounds. And he was far from the only surprise package in the Belgian lineup. Dodi Lukebakio and Nicolas Raskin got the nod over Kevin De Bruyne and Jeremy Doku, which on paper sounds like Garcia had lost a bet, but in practice worked an absolute treat. Garcia was adamant afterward that whatever personnel he selects, his team will always play front-foot football rather than retreating into a shell. Captain Youri Tielemans could not stop praising the squad's depth, pointing out that every player called upon delivered the goods. Thibaut Courtois, never one to undersell a performance, suggested the USA might still have been haunted by that 5-2 friendly demolition back in March. Next up for Belgium? A quarter-final against Spain, the reigning European champions. No big deal or anything.
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