Why Belgium can go all the way
As the Business end of the World Cup 2018 approaches, it is time to take a look at one of the lesser known teams, that have become the top scorers of this edition.
With all the hype surrounding France and Brazil, and rightfully so, Belgium has gone about their business in a professional manner. While Belgium may not have the same pedigree and history, as France or Brazil, they certainly have the quality. Neymar and Mbappe have admirably led their teams, but it is a Belgian, that is not only leading from the front as captain, but also striking fear into the opposition defense with his pace, trickery, and ability to influence games almost at will. Eden Hazard has got two goals and two assists, not to mention, he has won the MoM award for every single game he has played in, making him a real contender for the Golden Ball.
Belgium vs Brazil is a hotly anticipated clash, with Brazil being heavy favorites in the eyes of most, but, this Belgium team will be quietly confident about going about their business, after pulling off one of the most sensational comebacks in World cup history against Japan. With players like Lukaku, De Bruyne, and Hazard, Belgium must believe they can unlock any defense in the World.
There are a few things of concern though. While Belgium does possess one of the most potent attacking threats in the world, their players have not always been able to gel together. They have looked to be on different wavelengths at times, and can certainly use better combination play with their leading men. They have had this uncanny ability to turn it up when it matters the most, notably against Japan after trailing 2-0 after 60 minutes. In their 1st game against Panama, they struggled in the first half to create anything of note, but when the goals are needed, they certainly do step it up. Hazard was reportedly giving a dressing down to Lukaku and some other key players, and the team as a whole responded admirably, winning the game 3-0. The question remains whether Belgium can bring their leading men into play early, as they did against Tunisia. If Hazard, Lukaku, De Bruyne, and Mertens, are on their game early on, it is hard to see how any defense will be able to contain them.
Belgium's defense contains household names like Vincent Kompany, Toby Alderweireld, and Jan Vertonghen. However, their defense has often looked shaky, and they have had to rely on the brilliance of Courtois on more than one occasion. The defensive woes have led many to question the exclusion of the hard-tackling midfielder Radja Nainggolan. There seems to be a disconnect between the defense and midfield, and as a result, they have often been slow to come out of their half and begin their attacking play, allowing the opposing defenders to recover. They lack a player like N’golo Kante who provides that link between defense and midfield, and that can come back to haunt Martinez against Brazil.
The best bet for Belgium is to play to their strengths and attack from the 1st minute. Their defense has been leaky, but the attack has more than made up for it. If Martinez recognizes the weakness in the team, and can find a solution to shore up the defense, this Belgium team need not fear anyone.