Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku's extra time goals fired Belgium past the United States with a thrilling 2-1 win and into the World Cup quarter-finals.
Belgium, the final piece of the Brazil 2014 last eight jigsaw, were rewarded with a match-up against two-time winners Argentina in Brasilia on Saturday.
With the last 16 clash in Salvador goalless after regulation time, De Bruyne broke the deadlock in the 92nd minute.
The Wolfsburg midfielder leapt onto Lukaku's assist to fire low into the corner.
Lukaku doubled up on 106 minutes, this time with an assist from De Bruyne, to seemingly put the tie to bed for the tournament dark horses.
The United States' Bayern Munich teenager Julian Green, however, came on for the start of the second period of extra-time and reduced the deficit with his first touch.
Belgium had some nervous moments but held out. Belgium's best World Cup performance was reaching the 1986 semi-finals.
MAN OF THE MATCH – Tim Howard
In a World Cup of great goalkeeping displays this was probably the best. Howard made a staggering 14 saves, the highest by any keeper in the tournament and didn’t deserve to be on the losing side.
MATCH VERDICT
As they have done in every game so far, the US exhibited a workrate and a desire that should make some teams blush. Even after going two down in extra-time they pulled one back and finished the game with Belgium on the rack.
Yet ultimately it was those two goals early in the added 30 minutes which were the difference, with the Belgians’ quality from the bench – Kevin Mirallas and Romelu Lukaku – proving pivotal.
