That's very naive. Belgium will give Brazil a game and can beat them.
Day 19: Brazil vs Mexico and Belgium vs Japan
- Thread starter K2K
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That's very naive. Belgium will give Brazil a game and can beat them.
Assisted the equalizer.
Agree @Rajma, I give them about a 5% chance of getting a result here. Brazil aren't very impressive but they'll stifle Belgium and kill them off. Such an overrated team.
Big Fella always delivers. Game took 5 years of my life though, fecking hell.
Feel like Japan should've gone into Russia mode once 2-0 up, they left too much space in behind, but I guess unlike Spain Belgium were able to get all the big men into the box and scored two headers out of it.
Not sure what to make of Brazil-Belgium, on paper Belgium should be able to match them, but I don't trust Martinez to setup well defensively at all. If they try to go gung-ho Brazil will pick them apart on the counter and shut up shop.
Not sure what to make of Brazil-Belgium, on paper Belgium should be able to match them, but I don't trust Martinez to setup well defensively at all. If they try to go gung-ho Brazil will pick them apart on the counter and shut up shop.
Not sure why there’s so many people thinking this Brazil team will thrash Belgium. This comeback will give Begium’ ego’s just the boost and wake up call they needed.
Was it ever in doubt.
Where are the so many. Think only a few people think so.
I mean Belgium playing this stupid system with 3 CBs and attacking wingbacks concedes a lot of space on the wings. Neymar and Willian will have some joy on the flanks with Coutinho putting those through balls for them.
Brazil x Belgium is going to be an excellent game for neutrals.
Meh...
Get Dembele in next to Witsel. Mertens out. Push De Bruyne up a bit and let Hazard swerve around Lukaku.
And switch Carrasco with Chadli and that looks a lot more secure.
Belgium showed some real character there. Japan were amazing. fecking classic!
Their reputation has always been hugely inflated by the PL-centric media. Look at the leaders in their team, the jewels in the "star-studded" line-up the English media can't get enough of - only three players have even made it to the CL semis, and between them they couldn't even manage a win in one leg. They've consistently flattered to deceive every time they've come up against quality opposition for club and country. They just aren't at that level. Fair play to them for mixing it up with a couple of crosses to get them back in this game, but that's a far cry from the team they're portrayed to be - this slick, swashbuckling attacking side is really not that good.
Aye, I've seen someone on here compare them to England's supposed "Golden Generation" and I think it's quite fitting.
Quite a few names that the English media are familiar with to blow smoke up their arses but in reality, a successful international team needs to be a proper cohesive unit, which Belgium definitely aren't.
Your either an idiot or you didn’t watch the game after Belgium went 2 down
Japan would have made life difficult for Brazil. Stupid prediction to make. Still think Brazil will go through but not by 4-0
Hazard and KDB are good enough to play for Real/Barca/Bayern. Their lack of CL success has more to do with the state of English club football in recent years than with their individual qualities. Chelsea and City haven't been good enough to compete. Liverpool have won CL semis. Does this make their midfielders better than KDB or Mane better than Hazard? Don't get silly.
This whole tournament has been one amazing spectacle for neutrals.
Brazil are without Casemiro, right?
Yes.
Reductio ad absurdum must be the worst way to start a debate. But yes I agree. That's silly.
Yep.
I feel like Belgium has failed at what Japan was succeeded at: creating a national identity for their football team. Through decades of integrating and adapting football into their cultural (like Capt. Tsubasa from early 1980s), Japan's sides have this unique play style despite their best players being scattered across Europe with the rest being based in Asia. They all have this organized, selfless, team first approach that can be both defensive and attacking but has a different flavor from traditional European and South American sides.
I think all WC winning squads have either epitomized their national identity or somehow exemplified a unique team spirit. Off the pitch, one thing I noticed from reading about WC winning sides is that all of them have some great stories about their training base for the Cup and how that contributed to a squad togetherness and team spirit. Examples of the opposite of this effect can be found in Germany and Egypt this world cup where stories about unhappiness in their training base compounded other issues in both sides.
To me, this is what the Belgium side is really missing. It doesn't really have an identity or definable playing style. As you mention, it seems to be very individualistic. It comes off as tactics without strategy. Japan by contrast has lesser players in every individual position and like Belgium, they play for different sides across the world so its not like they have club familiarity but they perform as a team with such greater cohesion. They play like they all do play for the same club. They all seem to understand the same strategy.
Belgium is like a cheap smorgasbord. You get a little of this and a little of that, and altogether it seems like great value but in the end, its not a satisfying meal.
maybe I should stop drinking during matches
I fear Neymar and Coutinho but that’s it. Keep them quiet and we’re going through. Would like to see a change to 433 but won’t happen, and definitely Chadli in for Carrasco.
Do you know what reductio ad absurdum means? Doesn't seem like it.
Your point: Belgium's stars are overrated by English media, they aren't all that. Hey, they haven't even won a single CL game in the last 4.
That's a rubbish point though.
I can see that either Fellaini helps Belgium dominate Brazil, or he gets sent off inside 15 minutes as Neymar jetpacks out of the stadium in response to a tackle from him.
Poor sods will have to cope with only Fernandinho to replace him. Strength in depth.
If anything that's what they don't need. What they need is Martinez to get a wake up call and realize his tactics don't work. That 3 at the back with the players he has, De Bruyne in a midfield 2 just won't work against the best sides. They'll struggle unless he adapts, but I don't think he will and because of that I don't see them beating Brazil. It's not a case of lack of confidence in this side. Brazil are overall a better team in terms of individual quality but also in terms of the collective system they use, which is where Belgium struggles. Brazil hasn't been anything amazing, but they are a smart side and solid defensively while also having the individual quality in attack. Belgium have attacking quality, but lack the defensive smarts. Having the personnel doesn't mean the manager knows how to set them up.
Yeah but Casemiro seems to function very well in this Brazil team.
Even if you're drunk, I think you might be on to something. I'm no expert on Belgium as a country, but as far as I know, there isn't the strong national identity you have in other countries. Calls for Flemish autonomy, multiple languages, etc.
How do you jetpack while rolling
Yep, agree with all that. I was listening to a podcast the other week about USA's comical 1998 WC - quite funny and insightful. It was filled with disgruntled stars of the time reflecting back on how the chemistry of the team in general and particularly in those couple of months prior to a World Cup played such an important role once they got out onto the pitch. I think one of the things they always talked around but never talked explicitly about was that the drama surrounding it gave them an excuse to underperform, the groundwork had already been laid for it - and at that level it's a few % that makes the difference.
Japan hasn’t won one game ever against us. They tend to play us very timid and scared for some reason. I honestly had no concerns if they went through.
Feck whatever happens next, this was awesome. Everyone’s drunk, 1€ for a beer, one of the best football games of my life. Feck negativity if we go out against Brazil, so be it. Hope we’ll give them a good game.
What could have been if we had found a way to get the best out of Kagawa. What a player! I think SAF would have built a team around him.