Sao Paulo: A company selling sexual stimulants should sign up Belgium as brand ambassadors at the earliest, for the Red Devils always score late. Marc Wilmots’ team have struck all their six goals in the World Cup here after 70th minute. People may covet delay in the world’s oldest sport, but scoring early is always cherished in football. After Belgium edged out the USA 2-1 in a riveting end-to-end match on Tuesday, Wilmots pleaded with his players, “For my heart, please don’t give me too many games like this.”
The coach, an accomplished player in his younger days with World Cup experience to boot, wasn’t able to bear the tension of the match, which was a credit to the tournament. Maybe his players had a score to settle with him because they had plenty of opportunities to seal the result in normal time. Even though Belgium played their best match in Brazil on Tuesday, they found US goalkeeper Tim Howard unbeatable.
Kevin de Bruyne eased the pressure on Wilmots as he opened the scoring in extra time after getting tired of setting up others. The Wolfsburg attacking midfielder had threaded 10 final passes in the match for the highest number of assists in the World Cup since 1982. De Bruyne has upstaged his more popular team-mate Eden Hazard with his invention and industry in Brazil. While Hazard switches off completely at times, the blond midfielder runs himself ragged from start to finish, looking to supply the killer final ball. Defender Vincent Kompany and De Bruyne would be the first two names in the playing XI of Wilmots.
After a sluggish start, Belgium have gathered steam. Their quarterfinal against Argentina will be a cracker. If the Red Devils buck the trend and score early, Messi and Co. would be in for a torrid time. Belgium defend smartly with two experienced centre-backs, Kompany and Daniel van Buyten, providing calming influence. If Switzerland could hold Argentina goalless until deep into extra time, the resourceful Belgians can do even better.
Four of Belgium’s six goals here have been scored by substitutes. It’s a statistic that shows Wilmots in positive as well as negative light. He can be praised for getting his substitutions right. Conversely, the former international can also be accused of always getting his first XI wrong. It’s a Catch 22 situation for him. When he started Romelu Lukaku, the striker never scored. But he did find the net against the USA after coming off the bench.
There is another statistic that should delight Wilmots. Belgium have never lost a match with Thibaut Courtois in goal. The Belgian coach would be hoping that the giant Chelsea goalkeeper, on loan at Atletico Madrid, remains hale and hearty throughout the World Cup.
