Belgium defeated the United States 2-1 in the round of 16 on Tuesday to set up a quarterfinals matchup with Argentina on Saturday. Here are some observations from the match.

1. Better from Bradley, but too late

Throughout the group stage, Michael Bradley became a major point of contention for American fans around the world. He is the heart and soul of the squad, and he makes the offense click. But throughout the group stage American fans saw the best and the worst of Bradley. He was invisible against Ghana, both brilliant and a scapegoat against Portugal and then a bit of all of the above against the Germans. Things did not get off to a great start, and his passing was way off the mark. But as the game developed, he started to find more space and his passing improved.

In the second half of extra time he turned into the player that everyone had been waiting for the entire tournament. The passing was slick, the pace was there and the decision making and technique was precise. Unfortunately, like the rest of the match, it was too little too late for the United States.

2. Belgium's attack lacks spice in first, dominates in second

Belgium came into the tournament as the darling of many neutrals. The young side sports a lot of offensive stars such as Eden Hazard, Romelu Lukaku, Kevin De Bruyne, Axel Witsel and Marouane Fellaini among others. But throughout the group stage, the team's offense lacked the creativity to really excite anyone. The team wound up scoring four goals in the group round, all of them coming late in their respective games. Against the United States it was more of the same. The team is great at passing the ball around the outside of the box, but penetration is often lacking. The team took a lot of shots from outside the box but few troubled goalie Tim Howard. Hazard was rather predictable on the left wing and was often surrounded by multiple defenders.

But everything changed in the second as the European side laid siege to the American goal. They could have scored three or four goals if not for the tremendous performance from American goalie Tim Howard. By the time the game had moved on to extra time, Belgium had an astounding 31 shots on goal and 11 on target. Unlike Argentina, which continues to founder in its attack, Belgium's offense seems to have found its verve at the right moment in the tournament.

3. DeAndre Yedlin with a phenomenal game

Yedlin was one of the more criticized selections by Klinsmann when the 23-man roster was announced. But his World Cup thus far has justified the selection, and his performance against Belgium likely clinched his spot with the team for years to come. He was a constant threat on the right wing for Team America and his first touch was impeccable. He used his pace to tremendous effect to earn dangerous crosses into the box, but never made an overly risky play. Besides Howard, he was undeniably the Americans' top player on the pitch.

4. Romelu Lukaku changes the game

The Belgians were dominating the game prior to extra time but the arrival of Romelu Lukaku wound up being the difference. The striker proved crucial on both of Belgium's opening goals. He made the play down the right flank that left Matt Besler in the dust. He ran into the box and eventually got it over to De Bruyne who scored. Then he managed to finish with a terrific blast to give his team the 2-0 lead. He could have added another if not for the genius of Tim Howard.

5. Julian Green makes a difference

He was the most controversial pick of the entire U.S. team, but within a minute of his insertion into the game he proved why Jurgen Klinsmann had faith in him. He scored off a terrific volley and his goal seemed to wake up the United States. For the final 15 minutes of the game the team dominated the ball and created a number of major opportunities that forced great saves from Thibaut Courtois. He will be a huge member of this team moving forward.

Man of the Match

This was decided before extra time. Goalie Tim Howard was always going to be the most important player for the Americans, and he proved his worth with numerous game-savers that kept his team in the game. By the time the game reached extra time, Howard had made 11 saves; when all was said and done, he made 15 saves for his nation and kept them in the game long enough to fight for the comeback. Despite giving up the goals in extra time, he continued to battle; his performance represented the relentless fighting spirit of the team.