2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil

Biggest Sporting Event on the Earth

Showing posts with label Belgium. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Belgium. Show all posts

Match 60 - Argentina vs Belgium

Kris

Argentina vs Belgium

Quarter Finals
Match 60 on July 5 at 1:00 PM Brasilia Time
Venue: Estadio N

1 - 0  Belgium

(Higuain 8')      
Man of the Match: Gonzalo Higuain

Match Updates

Lineups

Argentina: Romero, Garay, Zabaleta, Biglia, Di Maria, Higuain, Messi, Mascherano, Demichelis, Lavezzi, Basanta

Belgium: Courtois, Alderweireld, Kompany, Vertonghen, Witsel, De Bruyne, Fellaini, Hazard, Mirallas, Van Buyten, Origi

Argentina

World Cup Record

73 Matches - W41, D13, L20

Manager

Alejandro Sabella, Argentina

Belgium

World Cup Record

40 Matches - W14, D09, L17

Manager

Marc Wilmots, Belgium

Match Facts

Referee: Nicola Rizzoli, Italy
Head to Head: Argentina 3-0-1 Belgium
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Match 56 - Belgium vs USA

Kris

Belgium vs USA

Round of 16
Match 56 on July 1 at 5:00 PM Brasilia Time

2 - 1  USA 

(De Bruyne 93', Lukaku 105')   (Green 107')
Man of the Match: Tim Howard

Match Updates

End of Normal Time: Belgium 0-0 USA

Lineups

Belgium: Courtois, Alderweireld, Kompany, Vertonghen, Witsel, De Bruyne, Fellaini, Hazard, Mertens, Van Buyten, Origi

USA: Howard, Gonzalez, Bradley, Besler, Beasley, Dempsey, Bedoya, Jones, Zusi, Cameron, Johnson

Belgium

World Cup Record

39 Matches - W13, D09, L17

Manager

Marc Wilmots, Belgium

USA

World Cup Record

32 Matches - W08, D06, L18

Manager

Jurgen Klinsmann, Germany

Match Facts

Referee: Djamel Haimoudi, Algeria
Head to Head: Belgium 4-0-1 USA
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Match 47 - Korea vs Belgium

Kris

Korea vs Belgium

Group F
Match 47 on June 26 at 5:00 PM Brasilia Time

Korea  0 - 1  Belgium

                        (Vertonghen 78')
Man of the Match: Jan Vertonghen

Match Updates

Lineups

Korea: S G Kim, S Y Yun, Y G Kim, H M Son, Y Lee, J C Koo, K Y Han, S Y Ki, C Y Lee, S W Kim, J H Hong

Belgium: Courtois, Vertonghen, Fellaini, Mirallas, Mertens, Van Buyten, Defour, Lombaerts, Dembele, Januzaj, Vanden Borre

Korea

World Cup Record

30 Matches - W05, D09, L16

Manager

Hong Myung-bo, Korea

Belgium

World Cup Record

38 Matches - W12, D09, L17

Manager

Marc Wilmots, Belgium

Match Facts

Referee: Benjamin Williams, Australia
Head to Head: Korea 0-1-2 Belgium
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Match 31 - Belgium vs Russia

Kris

Belgium vs Russia

Group H
Match 31 on June 22 at 1:00 PM Brasilia Time

Belgium 1 - 0 Russia

(Origi 88')            
Man of the Match: Eden Hazard

Match Updates

Fulltime - Belgium just wins it and they are through to the next round

01:30: Hazard is loose on the left wing, passes across to Miralles who is unmarked, he shoots it straight to Akinfeev
01:30: Substitution - Samedov is replaced by Kerzhakov for Russia
01:28: Goal - Origi scores, Hazard sets him up, another goal from a substitute for Belgium
01:26: Hazard turns in the box and shoots it just wide of far post
01:24: Mirallas' freekick, hits the upright, goalkeeper not even close, how unlucky
01:23: Substitution  Shatov goes out, Dzagoev comes in for Russia
01:23: Kanunnikov handles the ball, freekick near his box
01:21: Eshchenko goes for the far side, what a chance, he's just wide off target
01:17: Glushakov goes for the goal, Alderweireld blocks it
01:15: Substitution - Mertens is taken out, Mirallas comes in
01:13: Yellow Card - Alderweireld is booked, he takes Kanunnikov down

Both the teams seems like playing for a draw, none taking any risks
01:11: Kombarin's corner, Kokorin tries to head it, Kompany beats him to it
01:05: Fayzulin on target, De Buyten gets in the way
01:02: Substitution -  Eshchenko comes in for Russia, Kozlov goes out
01:02: Kompany sets up Hazard, his shot is blocked by Berezutskiy
00:57: Substitution - Lukaku is replaced by Origi
00:56: Yellow Card - Witsel commits a foul on Fayzulin and goes into the books
00:53: Kozlov crosses to GLushakov, he shot too high
00:49: Kanunnikov takes down Witsel, looks injured his left shoulder, he's up after some treatment

Halftime - It's a goal less half at Rio. Both teams had their chances but couldn't capitalize. Belgium looks the more aggressive team of the two

00:44: Kokorin in the box, shoots it wide of right post. Glukashov's cross was brilliantly curled in
00:43: Corner is blocked and Fayzulin takes a shot from outside on the volloey, just wide
00:39: Lukaku has the ball in the box, Ignashevich blocks the attempt
00:38: Yellow Card - Glushakov takes down Mertens and is cautioned
00:36: Mertens on target againfrom a tight angle, Akinfeev punches it away
00:31: Substitution - Vermaelen was injured and is being replaced by Vertonghen. He was injured in the warmups but deemed fit for the match
00:30: Kanunnikov has a go on the goal, Courtois has to make a save

Mertens is running the left side of Russian defense rugged, they couldn't contain him so far

00:26: Alderweireld and Kanunnikov tussles again in Belgium box this time, Russia appeals for a penalty, denied
00:23: Alderweireld and Kanunnikov collides in the Belgian half and are both down. Slight delay
00:22: Mertens runs past the defense again, this time he choses the far side but still wide
00:20: Mertens dribbles past the defenders in the right wing but shoots it wide of the near side
00:12: The ball at the feet of Fayzulin in the box, shoots but Courtois deflects it out
00:04: Mertens has a go on the target, Ignashevich blocks it
00:02: Samedov takes a hit on his head. He manages to do well to cross it in, but the attempt went wide

Its Kickoff at Maracana, Belgium starts the game


Lineups

 Belgium: Courtois, Alderweireld, Vermaelen, Kompany, Witsel, De Bruyne, Fellaini, Lukaku, Hazard, Mertens, Van Buyten

 Russia: Akinfeev, Kozlov, Ignashevich, Kanunnikov, Glushakov, Kokorin, Berezutskiy, Shatov, Samedov, Fayzulin, Kombarov

Belgium

World Cup Record

37 Matches - W11, D09, L17

Manager

Marc Wilmots, Belgium

Russia

World Cup Record

38 Matches - W17, D07, L14

Manager

Fabio Capello, Italy

Match Facts

Referee: Felix Brych, Germany
Head to Head: Belgium 3-1-4 Russia
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Match 15 - Belgium vs Algeria

Kris

Belgium vs Algeria

Group H
Match 15 on June 17 at 1:00 PM Brasilia Time

Belgium 2 - 1 Algeria

          (Fellaini 70', Mertens 80')  (Feghouli 25'(p))                  
Man of the Match: Kevin De Bruyne

Match Updates

Fulltime - An upset was on the cards, but Belgium made a brilliant comeback with 2 goals in 10 minutes. As predicted by Wilmots, it's the substitutes who proved crucial

Belgium not allowing any comeback from Algeria. They are dominating play now

01:24: Substitution - Majdani leaves and Ghilas in for Algeria
01:24: Fellaini heads it with an intent, Mbohli save it again brilliant
01:20: Goal - Counter attack, De Bruyne, Hazard and then Mertens and he powers it in
01:13: Corner into the box but Van Buyten heads it over
01:11: Substitution - Lacen comes in for Algeria, Mahrez is replaced
01:10: Goal - Fellaini heads it in, finally Mbohli is beaten. De Bruyne's cross

Belgium appearing a bit lively now, getting more chances consistently

01:06: Great chance for Belgium, Origi on the ball, one-on-one shoots and it's Mbolhi again. Good save
01:06: Substitution - Slimani replaces Soudani for Algeria
01:05: Substitution - Fellaini comes in for Belgium, Dembele leaves the pitch

It's going all wrong for Belgium, they rarely get in front when behind and it's looking the same here. Chances are getting hard to come by while Algeria are improving by the second

00:58: Substitution - Lukaku is taken off, the young Origi is given a chance
00:57: Corner finds Mejdani's head, just wide of the post
00:55: Mbolhi is keeping his team in the lead as he punches another incoming missile
00:49: Corner whipped in from Mertens, Mbohli gloves it but it's straight to Witsel who heads it over
00:46: Substitution - Halftime change for Belgium, Chadli goes out and Mertens comes in

Halftime - Algeria are delighted by their performance and Belgium needs some boost to get back in the game

00:44: Mbolhi blocks a hit from Chadli from inside the area

Algeria is playing very deep now and it's becoming tough for Belgium to come forward

00:34: Yellow Card - Bentaleb commits a foul on Dembele and is booked
00:25: Goal - Feghouli scores the penalty - 28 year old drought is no more
00:24: Yellow Card - Vertonghen goes into the books for that tackle
00:24: Penalty for Algeria. Ghoulam crosses in a lovely ball but Vertonghen takes down Feghouli in the box
00:17: Van Buyten hits it powerfully on target, blocked by Bentaleb

The talented young squad of Belgium is taking on Algeria, who have failed to score in World Cup stage in the last 28 years

Lineups
Belgium: Courtois, Alderweireld, Kompany, Vertonghen, Witsel, De Bruyne, Lukaku, Hazard, Van Buyten, Dembele, Chadli

 Algeria: Mbolhi, Bougherra, Ghoulam, Halliche, Feghouli, Medjani, Bentaleb, Soudani, Taider, Mahrez, Mostefa

Belgium

World Cup Record

36 Matches - W10, D09, L17

Manager

Marc Wilmots, Belgium

Algeria

World Cup Record

09 Matches - W02, D02, L05

Manager

Vahid Halilhodzic, Bosnia & Herzegovina

Match Facts

Referee: Marco Rodriguez, Mexico
Head to Head: Belgium 1-1-0 Algeria
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K minus 3 days - Three Underdogs of the Tourney

Kris
In this edition, we look at the teams that have never won the World Cup but due to their vast talent have the caliber to cause an upset on any given day

Netherlands

They reached three World Cup finals and lost all of them, coming within an extra time goal of winning the 2010 edition. They knocked out former champions Uruguay and Brazil on their way to final only to lose against the clinical Spain. They only have one European Championship to their name and have gone winless in the 2012 edition
Netherlands Squad - Euro 2012
But what makes them the underdogs? With some strong performances in the qualifying, win 9 wins out of 10 games and a draw, they topped the UEFA Group D and grabbed the automatic qualifying position. Their midfield is ever stronger and has managed to gel efficiently with the strong frontline. Playmaker Sneijder, forward van Persie and winger Robben are in good touch
Their only concern would be that if they fail to beat Spain in their opening group encounter, they are bound to face Brazil and Uruguay, that would be tough when playing in South America, but the Dutch has beaten them in the last tourney and would be confident enough to beat any side on their day

Portugal

It is Cristiano Ronaldo's and if he's fit enough, he would be a handful to deal with against any team, as witnessed in the playoff match against Sweden where he scored all the four goals in two legs. If he's fit
While Portugal might not be just about their talisman player, although without him, they would be a lot vulnerable. And most of their prospects rests on the shoulders of this years best player
Portugal Squad - Euro 2012
Portugal never fared too well in the biggest tournaments, they reached semifinals of the World Cup just twice and their best European showing is the unlikely final loss to Greece in 2004. But with Ronaldo in exceptional form, and players like Pepe, Nani, Moutinho assisting him, they might get lucky this time

Belgium

Despite them being the founder members of the FIFA, they never made it big in the world stage, with just a single semi final appearance in the World Cup and a single final appearance at Euros. But the current squad looks like they are the kings of the underdog pack, they don't rely on one particular player. They boast a very good all-round team, talent covering all the bases - defense, attack, set pieces, corners, counter attack, flanks
Belgium Squad against USA in 2013 friendly
Belgium managed to score in every match of their unbeaten qualifying campaign, they have players like Hazard, Fellaini, Kompany, Lukaku, Courtois in their ranks, they play a fearless brand of football with a right mix of youth and experience. They are the ones to bank on when facing adversities like Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Neymar. They might be the team that could make a difference this World Cup and it would be a fairy tale if that happens
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Belgium World Cup Squad

Kris
Koen Casteels, the third choice goalkeeper for Belgium, recovered enough to confirm his place in the final 23 and the backup Sammy Bossut, who replaced injured Silvio Proto in the provisional squad was left our as Marc Wilmots, Belgium head coach, registered his final roster for the World Cup. Except for Casteels injury concern, the remaining squad was already decided upon and all the six reserves were unneeded for Brazil
The highly talented Belgium squad, termed as underdogs of the tournament, includes rising stars such as Eden Hazard, Romelu Lukaku, Thibaut Courtois, Kevin De Bruyne, Marouane Fellaini to add to the experience of Vincent Kompany and Thomas Vermaelen

Squad

Goalkeepers:
Thibaut Courtois (Chelsea), Simon Mignolet (Liverpool), Koen Casteels (Hoffenheim)
Defenders:
Toby Alderweireld (Atletico Madrid), Anthony Vanden Borre (Anderlecht), Laurent Ciman (Standard Liege), Jan Vertonghen (Tottenham), Vincent Kompany (Manchester City), Daniel Van Buyten (Bayern Munich), Thomas Vermaelen (Arsenal), Nicolas Lombaerts (Zenit St Petersburg)
Midfielders:
Axel Witsel (Zenit St Petersburg), Steven Defour (Manchester United), Marouane Fellaini (Manchester United), Nacer Chadli (Tottenham), Moussa Dembele (Tottenham), Kevin De Bruyne (Wolfsburg), Adnan Januzaj (Manchester United), Eden Hazard (Chelsea)
Forwards:
Dries Mertens (Napoli), Kevin Mirallas (Everton), Romelu Lukaku (Chelsea), Divock Origi (Lille)
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Injury Update - Silvio Proto Breaks Arm

Kris
Belgium coach had earlier included Anderlecht No.1 keeper Silvio Proto to cover for Koen Casteels in case he fails to recover from his shin surgery in time for the World Cup, but he now had to look at other options as the backup had broken his arm in the final match of the Belgium league on Sunday
Marc Wilmots has included the next available option Sammy Bossut, Zulte Waregem Goalkeeper, to the provisional squad to replace Proto. Although Silvio Proto was supposed to be exempted from the final 23 if Casteels manages to prove his fitness before June 2, Sammy Bossut is now expected to fill the stand-in role
Bossut is the fifth choice goalkeeper in the injury hit Belgium stopper roster, which is equipped with World Class talent in the form of Thibaut Coutois and Simon Mignolet from the Atletco Madrid (loaned from Chelsea) and Liverpool lists
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Belgium Provisional Squad

Kris
Belgium has a blockbuster array of talented players set in their provisional squad, announced by head coach Marc Wilmots. Wilmots announced 24-man preliminary squad which consists a dozen players from English premier league
19-year Adnan Januzaj has been given a green to join stars Hazard, Lukaku, Courtois, Fellaini, Kompany along with other regulars. Christian Benteke is the only notable exclusion owing to his injury in April
Wilmots included four goalies to give injured Koen Casteels time to regain his fitness, if such is the case Silvio Proto might drop out from the final squad. Apart from that single position, all the other players look set to fly to Brazil but the coach added a list of stand-by players just in case

FIFA has a deadline until June 2 by which all teams need to lodge their 23-member World Cup squads

Squad

Goalkeepers:
Thibaut Courtois (Chelsea), Simon Mignolet (Liverpool), Koen Casteels (Hoffenheim), Silvio Proto (Anderlecht)
Defenders:
Toby Alderweireld (Atletico Madrid), Anthony Vanden Borre (Anderlecht), Laurent Ciman (Standard Liege), Jan Vertonghen (Tottenham), Vincent Kompany (Manchester City), Daniel Van Buyten (Bayern Munich), Thomas Vermaelen (Arsenal), Nicolas Lombaerts (Zenit St Petersburg)
Midfielders:
Axel Witsel (Zenit St Petersburg), Steven Defour, Marouane Fellaini (Manchester United), Nacer Chadli (Tottenham), Moussa Dembele (Tottenham), Kevin De Bruyne (Wolfsburg), Adnan Januzaj (Manchester United), Eden Hazard (Chelsea)
Forwards:
Dries Mertens (Napoli), Kevin Mirallas (Everton), Romelu Lukaku (Chelsea), Divock Origi (Lille)
Standby:
Sebastien Pocognoli (Hannover), Radja Nainggolan (Cagliari), Thorgan Hazard (Chelsea), Jelle Van Damme (Standard Liege), Guillaume Gillet (Anderlecht), Michy Batshuayi (Standard Liege)
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Belgium

Kris

Belgium - Group H (Algeria, Russia, Korea)

Belgium is the oldest football association in Europe and has featured regularly in the world stage since the first World Cup. They are famous for defeating four of the reigning world champions in the subsequent World Cups and for their traditional rivaly with Netherlands
Attack, Defense, Set Pieces, Corners, Flanks - Name any quality that's desired from a champion. Belgium has it covered. One of the few teams to score in every qualifying campaign, Belgium boasts a very well-rounded side this World Cup and it might be the time they graduated into a leading sides from being an emerging team
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