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A classic World Cup match is a knockout match between two top clubs playing at their best. Belgium-Brazil in Kazan could be the first classic of this tournament. (France-Argentina does not qualify because Argentina was not a great team.) "The most beautiful matches are against the strongest opponents," says Belgian central defender Vincent Kompany, surely the most articulate player of the tournament (in four languages).
The best team in Brazil since 2002 faces the best team in Belgium since at least 1986. Brazil already seems almost impregnable; Belgium must decide how much to change a winning formula.
The Red Devils watched the world's most fluid team with the ball but vulnerable without it. Their three slow central defenders, now led by Kompany, tend to back down to reduce the gap between them and the goal. Their six front to the attack does not back down enough. In Belgium's last 3-2 win over Japan in the last round, they left big holes in midfield. Against Brazil, Thomas Vermaelen or Nacer Chadli could replace Yannick Carrasco, a left of fortune, and Marouane Fellaini could support the midfielder at the expense of Dries Mertens.
But Roberto Martinez, the Devils coach, told the Belgian newspaper Het Nieuwsblad: "We will remain an offensive team, we will not suddenly defend." Brazil are the best team in this tournament but we are not lost. "
For once, this was not a cynically coaching fattening an imperfect opponent. Brazil has only allowed four shots in the World Cup and has conceded only two goals in 10 months, both in the corners. Belgium hardly ever scores corners.
The most important player in Brazil can be the defensive midfielder Casemiro. All the muscle and at its peak at 26, Casemiro is cool to win his third straight Champions League with Real Madrid and ran the most kilometers in the team. He almost always chooses the right spaces to close and barely leaves a pass. Next to him, Paulinho is a rare box-to-box midfielder. In the lead, Gabriel Jesus' no-go goals so far have to be compared to his ungrateful defensive run.
Brazilian central defenders Thiago Silva and Miranda are 33 years old and, like their Belgian counterparts, prefer to play relatively close to their goal. This allows the entire Brazilian team to go back further than the attackers would like. But on the rise, Thiago and Miranda are close to the perfect position, which is why Brazil has blocked 12 shots in this tournament. Goalkeeper Alison Becker looks like a safe pair of hands, but it 's hard to be sure as he almost never has to use them. And a team of 11 qualified players (unlike Brazil 2014) can defend by passing the ball.
Brazil's tactical adjustments against Belgium will likely be modest. Neymar should go from outside-left to the second striker. The excellent Philippe Coutinho would then pass from mid to the left midfield, which should reinforce the team's tendency to attack from the left. The main vulnerability of Brazil is its right flank, populated by Willian and the back Fagner, the weakest link in the team.
The crucial clashes in Kazan could be Eden Hazard of Belgium away against Fagner, and Neymar against his teammate of Paris Saint-Germain Thomas Meunier and Kompany. (Often overlooked in moaning about Neymar's playability is his brilliance.)
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Martinez, who had always anticipated Brazil or Germany in the quarterfinals, said: "J & # I had my plan for a long time He may have refined after studying the seven minutes of the Brazil-Serbia match when the Serbs suddenly created repeated opportunities.They pressed Brazil, attacked through the space behind Neymar, who seldom helps his defense, has moved into the Fagner area, although the spell was unsuccessful, he offers hope to the Devils
The same goes for Brazil's recent record. Since they've won the final in 2002 against Germany, they have not beaten a team from Western Europe at a World Cup, losing four times and shooting twice.The hectic football of the region has troubled them.
Nevertheless, the best The third generation Belgian will probably lose its third quarterfinal of a big tournament in four years. And we neutrals can have a game that will live through the ages.
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