R16 July 2 Belgium v. Japan [R]

I just got a look at that header that was the first Belgium goal--definitely lucky as he was clearly just trying to head the ball back to the front of goal. When it went it, the game turned. Very entertaining and some good football.

 

Down two, #BEL stunned #JPN 3 – 2 with a 2nd-half rally, including a @NChadli winner in the final minutes as @hazardeden10 won the Man of the Match award. #KweseFIFA #WorldCup #BELJPN pic.twitter.com/M76S0PcShO

— Kwesé Sports (@kwesesports) July 2, 2018

 

The ending reminded me of the Algeria/US game years ago where it came down to a quick toss by the goalie and fast break in extra time.

 

Witsel said in an interview before the Cup that they speak mostly english between them, since it's the language everyone is familiar with. Half the team lives in England, after all.

 

Might have been Mancunian

 

I thought going in that Japan would lose 3-0 or 4-0. Japan in my mind was the easiest knock-round opponent. However I saw that it was 0-0 at the half and thought maybe they can do something in the second. Before I knew it, Japan's up 2-0.

And they were great goals. It was bound to have taken something really special to beat Courtois. Kompany in particular was very poor (he's going to be easy pickings for an agile and quick Brazil side). The team as a whole looked stunned that Japan could produce such high quality stuff. Belgium also looked overconfident, as if they had their minds on the Brazil quarter-final already.

Somehow Belgium regained some composure and got back up field to pull one back. I don't think Verthogen meant his header on that goal. I think he meant to head it towards the back post for a teammate. But once Belgium pulled one back you could feel it was only a matter of time they would grab the second, which they duly did with another header. Belgium held a distinct size advantage over their nimbler opponents, so it made sense they would score with headers from Fellaini and co.

Still Japan looked dangerous. And they showed great vision in the final third (I hope Spain took note.) I think they were a bit unlucky. I think their nerves got the better of them when they committed so many men forward for that last corner considering the Belgian size advantage was always going to work against them. I think they thought that was going to be the last kick of the regulation time or that maybe a lucky bounce would allow them to scrap in a goal like South Korea had done to Germany. It was a fatal mistake. Courtois, the biggest player on the field, plucked it right out of the air and looked to play a quick counter. Belgium, as if by telepathy, were of one mind to attack at that moment. Lukaku dragged defenders left and right, then allowed the ball to be played through him with a dummy that forced the keeper half a step the wrong way. Japan almost prevented the goal with a last ditch tackle, but Chadli managed to stuff it in.

What a roller-coaster. Five goals on the night. End-to-end action. This game sure as hell made up for yesterday's snoozers.

 

This has nothing to do with them handing a lifeline, lol. They are very talented individuals but they can be predictable at times. Also, when they play with 3 strikers and no midfield enforcer (they left Radja home), it can be difficult to control the game. Recent Belgium-Japan friendlies have been close, so this is no different really.

 

Belgium ain’t gonna get past QF for sure.

 

My concluding remarks about this game and more:

1- Japan's performance in Wc2018 has been the performance most who follow them would have expected from Japan in 2014, not in this tournament. Yet, 2014 turned out a very disappointing tournament for Japan while this one when they weren't expected to do well has turned out great. If in 2014, Japan had opened up against say Belgium playing this game, no one should have been surprised - only instead disappointed that Japan lost. This time around, even losing, Japan surpassed expectations for its fine display.

2- Going back to before World Cup 2014, Belgium have been quite often hyped up as a potential finalist. But until this World Cup, it looked like hype by overly enthusiastic EPL fans and not much else. In this World Cup, Belgium have done well and their offense has been quite awesome at times. They are no longer hyped, even if they lose to Brazil and exit the tournament at the quarterfinals. That said, however, Belgium's defense sure looks suspect. Of course, they won't be playing Brazil the way they played Japan, but still you would expect Brazil to see off Belgium after their match. But apart from Brazil and France, I don't think anyone else would beat Belgium. Which makes Japan's performance against them all the more worthy of praise.

3- While Japan should be applauded for their performance, which helped give us the best match in the tournament so far, being naïve and letting an opponent who is trailing 2:0 to comeback and win the match when they could have parked the bus at that point and run out the clock and made it difficult for Belgium to create chances, is a gamble that I don't think could be justified at this stage in a tournament like the World Cup. When all is said and done, after a few weeks or months or certainly years, all people will remember is where teams finished and the results they achieved. Getting high marks for sportsmanship is fine and dandy, but it would have been ever better for Japan (and Asian football) if Japan had advanced to the quarterfinals. The fact that they would have met Brazil makes it likely that they could have never advanced beyond the quarterfinals but, at the same time, such a performance by them would have put an end to insecure Euro snobs who come to Asia and coach Asian teams and immediately put a ceiling on how far they can go.

4- Japan is the only Asian team that I have never minded if someone rated above Iran. South Korea is not in the same class by any measure. I say this as someone who has seen Iran play South Korea regularly, countless times, with Iran regularly beating them. And outclassing them to boot. I am annoyed by those who hide their lack of knowledge of Asian football, and go with general impressions of what they remember from a tournament here or there, and want to perpetuate myths about South Korea. Iran qualified to the World Cup looking like the best team in Asia hands down. Even after this tournament, only Japan can claim to be better. Never mind that I too didn't like Iran's tactics much. Iran will never be a 'tiki taka' side and playing compact in the back would have always been the right tactic for us. But parking the bus and playing bunker ball (until we had to come up) was a huge disservice to a team which boasted its best talents on offense. Even if none of them could show it spending their time defending behind the ball.

 

For the rest of my life I would be wondering what if Japan had employed a different strategy after 2-0 lead. Did they pause and reflect on the fact that they had 2 goal lead with only 30 minutes or so left? And many more what-ifs. This match will stay fresh in my mind for many years. On the flip side, they probably would have made it to QF and lose to Brazil by parking the bus after 2-0 but they would not have received the praise and admiration they got with this style of play. So in the end maybe this is the better outcome for Japan instead of stretching it to extra time and losing with bigger margin. I am sure Belgium would have scored more goals in extra time. So many possibilities

Belgium would know if they lucked out or deserved this win in the next match.

 

On the belgian tv Hazard said they speak french among eachother as the dutch speaking players speak french but not the other way around. Although in the dressing room and with the coach they speak english.

About the game: Martinez should get rid of the 3-4-3 against Brazil. One winger to the defense and an extra central midfielder. 2 of them is just not enough. I'm pretty sure he will make this change. 3-4-3 is suicide against Brazil...

 

Not going to check it myself but in the media it's: "Belgium is the first team to overturn a two-goal deficit in a World Cup knockout match since West Germany beat England in extra time at the 1970 tournament. The last team do it in regulation was when Portugal beat North Korea in the 1966 quarterfinals." - https://apnews.com/97b51850571045dea8dfb50908df9902

Thanks for leaving out the negativity. Here have another eagle salute, this time from JC Van Damme

 

Japan played honourably and deserve credit for doing so. Belgian players earned plaudits for fair-play as well. Around the 10th minute Carrasco could have easily gone to ground/won a pen but instead he stayed on his feet, @ 1'40''



Also, @ 2'40'' Lukaku is shoved (about 10 minutes after the tackle on Carrasco). Belgium could have won a pen, maybe even two, and opened the score in the first 20 or so minutes. We would have seen a completely different game. Maybe it was for the best. What a comeback. What a game.

 

Media has it wrong. Germany - France semi-final 1982. It was 1-3 in extra time. Germans leveled it up 3-3. Won eventually in penalty shootout. But regulation time is correct. Portugal against North Korea in 1966.
This game was a character test for Belguim. Next test against Brazil is much more about quality and mature. If they can win this they will absolutely earn my respect. Otherwise they remain under-achievers to me.

 

PSO is counted as a draw, is it not? Still, rare enough.

 

Officially counted as a draw. Then media is right. But I only care if a team did manage to advance or not. At the end of the day this is what count's.

 

I think it was @Blondo who was a bit annoyed with me when I wrote some time ago that Belgium didn't impress me in their 1:0 win over Japan in a friendly they had after the qualifiers in 2017. Sure, it was not the same type of game as the one Japan won 3:2, beating Belgium with Lukako, Hazard, Mertens, Witzel (Fellini and De Bruyne as subs) before World Cup 2014. But while I was worried that this time around Japan might end up getting spanked by a Belgium side that looks quite good on offense, it is worth recalling that Japan has given this generation of Belgium players a run for their money before. And even beat them in 2013.

 

Nope, I had fun. You simply can't stand losing an argument and then write walls of text, even about old friendlies. Follow Japan's example, be more gracious in defeat.

 

Sorry, but just being mean ...

Thread Belgium vs. Japan:

Thread Brazil vs Mexico:

Thread Spain vs Russia:

I really like your posts - and it's always worth it to read them entirely even if they're long.
But ... watch out, or some people could start skipping your posts, which would be a pity.

 

It did remind me of a US-game from that Bradley-era... however, the game it reminded me of was the Confed Cup final vs Brazil more

Anyhoo, great game Japan. However, I can't believe their nativity in thinking they'd win off a corner to lose the game in the last minute... sheesh. You saw Brazil leave 3 players at the back on corners in fear of the Mexican counter attack, and Japan send both their centerbacks forward against a team with a far superior height difference. Anyhoo, great stuff for the neutrals I guess.

 

In the game you mention, it was 1-1 at FT. The French took a 2 goal lead in ET and then Germany equalized and won on a penalty shootout. It was the first time that penalties were used in the WC. It was also the game where Schumacher KO'ed Battiston.

On topic: Kudos Japan! Props where due.

 

Japan played and fought honorably. I honestly think the tournament would be more entertaining if they were in the final 8, got a feeling if they nicked out a win the coach would play Brazil for style rather than the grind a park the bus style result. This washed away all the negativity from the crap they pulled vs. Poland.

Japan threw it away IMO. Belgium were on the ropes and Japan might have had a real chance to snuff it out at 2-1 if they just played bunkerball and employed elite-level grassrolling and timewasting tactics, which would have earned the ire of pundits and commentators but could have booked them their first QF appearance.

Hats off the Belgium too though, magnificent comeback. It was a game to remember for the ages. Unlike the poster above I don't think WC games are the types to be forgotten based just on "results"; they're rare enough that people will give credit for how Belgium came back and how Japan fought toe to toe with one of the WC favorites for many years to come.

I'm hoping for Belgium to eliminate Brazil. They have impressed me far more and have mentally gained a step after this game.

 

Nice analogy. Loved that goal