Seattle, July 7 -- United States head coach Mauricio Pochettino dismissed suggestions that the controversy surrounding Folarin Balogun had any impact on his side's performance, saying Belgium deserved their victory after eliminating the hosts from the FIFA World Cup 2026, according to The Athletic.

Speaking at his post-match press conference following the USA's 4-1 defeat in the Round of 16, Pochettino said his team did not need to look for excuses and acknowledged that Belgium outplayed them on the day.

"It's difficult to make a comment. We were not good enough today, we don't need to find another excuse. It wasn't a situation that affected us in the group. All the team can have one day you don't perform. Today was this type of day. Be...