After a 3-2 victory, the Belgians are in the quarter finals of the World Cup. In it, Brazil's top favorite awaits. I think it should be better. Yesterday we noticed some doubt has sown in defensive work.
Belgium has been lucky. That's for sure.
The supporters can be happy with what they have experienced. If you will win such a victory when everything seems lost. If you can return from a beaten position. This has only rarely happened. It was 50 years ago in the knockout phase of the World Cup this happened.
Then of course that gives a much greater euphoric feeling than if it were just dry 2-0 after 45 minutes of playing football.
In that respect, the Red Devils may be congratulated with that mental resilience. That is the big difference with Wales two years ago. Belgium then collapsed completely at 2-1 and could not fight back. They have done that now.
There was some fuss involved. After the 0-2 you saw that Belgium, as far as I am concerned, was counted on the canvas. Nothing was going on, there was upheaval in the team and then you need a little bit of luck and that is what Belgium had with that goal by Jan Vertonghen.
Then followed the good input of Marouane Fellaini and Nacer Chadli These were good interventions by the national coach. Then they have done a heroic pursuit to a good end with a great climax at the end. That is good, underline that.
But on the other hand, especially with a view to the game against Brazil, internal attention has to be paid to what has gone wrong.
That was, as far as I am concerned, very much. That is a big disappointment, that at the moment after two years of hard work under Roberto Martinez in such a final round of a big tournament is still happening.
I have no explanation for it, but I honestly do not think there was a lack of focus or that the Devils were already busy with Brazil. For that reason, this group is too mature and mature to judge: "we roll it up for a while, we are already working on Brazil".
I think that has nothing to do with it. It could be that it was a bit of pressure and stress. As the Belgians apparently also played tricks against Panama, we heard afterwards.
Anyway, the Japan team was amazing, the gave everything they had and at the end they kept on smiling. What a great nation!
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