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We reached the semifinals of the World Cup, and the remaining four teams have a lot to do. Belgium, Croatia, England and France are two victories of an elusive title of the World Cup. They are two wins away from burning their names in the history books of the most popular sports event in the world.
So, there is a lot at stake next week in Russia.
However, while we all know what each team is playing on the surface, each national team has its own story and motivation. Let's take a look at the issues of each team before the games on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Belgium: The time has come for the golden generation
The Red Devils do not have the most famous history of the World Cup. Their best result since the beginning of the event in 1930 came to Mexico in 1986. Belgium reached the semi-finals for the first time in its history that year. In fact, it was the first time that Belgians passed the group stage. In the round of 16, he overtook the Soviet Union with a 4-3 win, and in the quarterfinals, he creaked Spain on penalty spot.
It is then that the Red Devils face Diego Maradona and Argentina in the semi-finals and lose 2-0. They will face France in the match for third place and lose 4-2. So, in a sense, Belgium can take a little revenge on France for this match in third place, but that is not what will happen in Belgium.
While the country may not have much success on the international scene (he also finished third in 1972 and was a finalist in 1980), the expectations of recent years have increased talent level . The team includes players like Dries Mertens, Eden Hazard, Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, Thomas Vermaelen and so on. The best players of the best clubs in the best European leagues, but he has not been able to turn this talent into success. He did not qualify for Euro 2012, participated in the quarterfinals of the 2014 World Cup, and then was eliminated in the quarters of Euro 2016.
C & C Is the opportunity for Belgium to capitalize on all this talent. The age of Belgian football can be viewed with disappointment.
Croatia: the only remaining Cinderella
where there remains a team that corresponds to the story of "play money from home", that is Croatia. Everything is at stake, but these Croats have nothing to lose. They are the only Cinderella remaining in a World Cup that has already had a few candidates.
Croatia's international success is essentially non-existent (remember, Croatia was not a World Cup eligible country until 1994). By reaching the semifinals this year, he has already achieved his greatest feat on the world stage. Croatia reached the semi-finals in France in 1998. The situation was not so different from the 2018 World Cup. Croatia has found itself in a group with Argentina, Jamaica and Japan. This year, Croats were part of a group with Argentina, Iceland and Nigeria. The difference is that they finished second to advance in 1998 and won their group this year.
They then went on to the round of 16 and beat Romania 1-0, and shocked the world by beating Germany 3-0 in the quarters. After losing to host and eventual France champion in the semifinal, Croatia beat the Netherlands 2-1 to take third place.
He has not passed the group stage since this year. He was not even qualified in 2010.
Life in the Euros was not much different, as Croatia reached the quarterfinals in 1996 and 2008, but that's not the case. is as far as possible.
With all remaining teams feeling pressure, Croatia has the least weight on its shoulders. Everything from this moment is mainly sauce.
England: More Adorable Losers
There have been eight countries to win a World Cup, and England is one of the two remaining in this tournament. The problem is that the country that claims to have invented the sport as we know it today has not had much international success since this 1966 World Cup title! England finished third at both 1968 and 1996 Euros. She reached the semifinals of the World Cup in 1990 where she lost to West Germany in punishment (a theme familiar to England in tournaments like this one). .
England did not even qualify for the 1994 World Cup here in the United States, and it had not gone past the quarterfinals since 2006 until that year. summer.
What Gareth Southgate's team has done in Russia is to win its first knockout phase match since 2006, and to win a shot-on-goal match for the first time in its illustrious Cup history of the world. So, some of the biggest dragons in England have already been killed, so in a sense, it is already a successful World Cup for England. But even if it is, England is now in an unknown position.
This is not only in the semifinals, but it's considered a big favorite to reach the final and it's one of the two favorites with France to win victory. So suddenly, the Lions went from the Los Angeles Lovable Losers version to a team that could be disappointed if it did not win everything.
At the end of the day, England will always be home to what is probably the best league in the world, where many of the world's best players are doing their job, but all this will still sound a little hollow without another world Title of the cup.
France: A seat at the table with the world elite
Like England, France is one of eight countries to win a World Cup. Like England, France won only once. Unlike in England, France won at Euros. In fact, it is done twice (1984, 2000). Similarly, unlike England, France has been close to winning the World Cup a few times to fall just before this second title.
In fact, of the three nations with a World Cup title (Spain is the third), one could say that France has always seemed to be the only country that should have won more. It should be the third European nation with several World Cups, joining Germany and Italy, but this is not done yet.
In 2006, France fell just before its second World Cup, which resulted in fourth place in Italy, the Italians beating the French in penalty. One of the worst ways to lose a game, not to mention the final of the World Cup.
Overall, the semifinals were tough on the French. Obviously, they passed them in 1998 when they won everything, and in 2006 when they lost to Italy. But in 1958, the French lost against Brazil 5-2. France then returned to the semi-finals in 1982 when she lost against West Germany on penalties. He would return to the semi-finals in 1986 where he would lose again to West Germany, this time 2-0.
Notice a theme to these defeats?
Brazil, winner of five World Cups, eliminated it in 1958. West Germany, winner of four World Cups, eliminated it in 1982 and in 1986. In 2006, Italy beat France four times in the final.
Well, there is no Brazil, Germany or Italy that stays on the way to France this year. It's the favorite to win everything at this stage, and it's an opportunity for France to legitimize what many have felt about it for so long.
If she wants to consolidate her position as a world power in sport, it may be the best chance she has of doing it for a long time.
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