De Bruyne & Lukaku break USA hearts as Belgium squeak through

It wasn't to be for Clint Dempsey this time around

On Tuesday night, Belgium and the USA served us up one of the truly great matches. Alex Johnson tells us what went down.

Extra time goals from Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku saw Belgium progress as they overcame a determined USA in Salvador.

It was a fantastic match and possibly the best of the World Cup so far, but it is Belgium who progress to a quarter-final game with Argentina.

The game was merely seconds old when Belgium created the first chance of what turned out to be an action-packed encounter. The teenager Divock Origi, who was selected to start ahead of Lukaku by Marc Wilmots, showed his pace to get in behind the USA defenders and his low shot was kept out by Tim Howard. That signalled the trend for most of the game as the American keeper put in an inspirational display to thwart Belgium time-after-time.

De Bruyne missed a good chance to give Belgium the lead mid-way through the first half when he dragged a shot well wide of the target from only 12 yards out. Despite good attacking intent from both teams, the game was goalless at half-time.

In the second half it was Belgium who created a host of opportunities but were constantly kept out by a combination of heroic USA defending and a keeper in inspired form. On 48 minutes Dries Mertens saw his header acrobatically tipped over the crossbar from Howard, who also pulled off a great stop to keep out Jan Vertonghen some 10 minutes later.

Belgium were guilty of poor finishing as they wasted a number of good opportunities. Mertens found the side netting as they turned the screw on the USA and Origi was kept out by Howard before the keeper pulled off a fantastic stop with his legs to keep out Kevin Mirallas after his Everton team-mate was sent clear of the USA defence.

Eden Hazard and Origi again were the next to be thwarted by Howard as time ran out, before Vincent Kompany got on the end of a De Bruyne cross and the keeper pulled off another diving save to tip the ball round the post and ensure the game ended goalless after 90 minutes.

Lukaku was brought on for Origi after 90 minutes and the striker made an immediate impression. On 92 minutes he got forward down the Belgium right and cut the ball back to De Bruyne in the box, who beat one man to create space and then hit a low angled drive past Howard and into the bottom corner.

Indeed Lukaku was a constant threat after he came on and had two shots saved by Howard before he doubled Belgium's lead on 105 minutes. It was De Bruyne who slid the ball into Lukaku inside the box and the striker let the ball run across his body before hitting a powerful first-time shot from 12 yards that flew into the back of the net.

At that point it looked like plain sailing for Belgium, but a USA substitute threw a spanner in the works just three minutes after the break in extra time. Julian Green was found with a neat lobbed through ball from Michael Bradley and the forward met it first time on the volley to beat Thibaut Courtois and give the USA a lifeline.

Belgium were then hanging on and the USA almost had an equaliser on 114 minutes after a neat free-kick routine was played short and rolled into Clint Dempsey. Courtois was quick to come out and keep out Dempsey's shot at close range.

It was tough going in the final minutes for Belgium but they managed to hold on to book themselves a quarter final clash with Argentina. USA might be going home but they do so with their heads held high and this World Cup looks to have given football a major profile boost in America.