Analysis of Belgium and Japan – July 2

The World of Surprises was about to take a new victim but Belgium resisted, he returned the score to Japan and eventually entered the quarter-finals. Thus, a threat to Brazil comes in what will be, perhaps, the most irresistible shock of the next instance in Russia. And this Belgian national team has reasons to be delighted with the big shot

First of all, Belgium is one of the most two teams that have won all four matches so far. In the group stage, they beat Panama (3-0), Tunisia (5-2) and England (1-0). And in the second round he beat Japan from 3 to 2. The other is Uruguay, who is also in the quarterfinals and will face France.

Unlike the Uruguayans, Belgium is a team that scores goals. He converted 12 goals and is in this area the only selection that exceeded the double digits. And more: before the Japanese team shows that it does not only need to convert Lukaku or Hazard, which has achieved half of the goals that the Belgians have in the contest. Vertonghen, Fellaini and Chadli scored the goals

Whatever it is either, still without conversion, Hazard and Lukaku demonstrated the importance they have for this team. The Chelsea footballer was key in development and set fire to the woods. And Lukaku was vital in the third goal, without touching the ball. First drag the mark and then pbad the ball to Chadli who has entered the area as a locomotive to push the ball.

Before this great counterattack that gave the European team victory in stoppage time and unleashed the madness of those who were dressed in red in the bleachers and the rest in the blue, there was a second time that, for the benefit of both selections, it was magnificent.

Japan had surprised the whole world. Stimulated, perhaps, by this beautiful curtain that his fans displayed in the image of Oliver Atom, the protagonist of the cartoon series "Supercampeones", raising a cup with other characters from this sports fiction that was in the decade of & # 39; 80 and 90, took two goals difference with the goals of Haraguchi and Inui with two shots well framed, far from the reach of Courtois.

Whatever the case may be, the Chelsea goalkeeper, who is wanted by Real Madrid, it was vital thereafter to stop several shots that could have meant more goals for the Asians.

The Japanese went into history but, finally, the one who wrote a page of gold in his books was Belgium. It's in less than 25 minutes that he returned the result, without the need for an extension. And to achieve this, he had another virtue: versatility.

Belgium adapted to the situation she was suffering from. And he went to find the result by leaving aside his fundamental premise, that of constant possession of the ball, to try to be more direct, more vertical and even throw centers to the area.

In this sense, Roberto Martínez was right with the changes. After the reduction that Vertonghen converted, almost by an occasional action, the draw came Fellaini, the 194 centimeter giant Mascherano went to play at the 2014 Brazil World Cup when Argentina played against Belgium in the quarterfinals.

Regardless of what Fellaini can bring to the game, Martinez gave the order to appeal the use of the aerial ball. And so, Belgium came to a draw. The meeting was done back and forth, but everything led to the lengthening.

Until Japan, unlike what he did with Poland, where he spent time in the last minutes, was encouraged and went for the win in the It seemed to be the last piece. But he turned the corner wrong, Courtois picked up the ball and another situation was born. The one that was going to be the definitive to change the result.

A bowling pbad at De Bruyne led the ball around 40 yards, opened for Meunier and he threw the center for Chadli to push him. And crazy celebration.

It is not a coincidence that Belgium ranks among the top eight in the world, as it was four years ago. After the failure of Eurocopa 2000, organized in his own country and in the Netherlands, he launched a project under the aegis of coach Michael Sablon to empower youth and children . And many of the players of the national team have already registered since 2002.

At the Belgian project, Japan l 39; defeated Rostov But he resisted and overcame adversity. Now, it's going against Brazil. To continue to make history and match his best record in the world: Mexico's 86, when he reached the semifinals and was eliminated with Argentina's Diego Armando Maradona.

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