Day 25: France vs. Belgium SF

Sayros

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Crap quotes from such losers is really the only way to describe this. We get it they really hate this loss. If I were French I would love at this.
Oh we do, their tears sustain me.
 

Loublaze

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If Mourinho managed Belgium they would have probably progressed. Martinez too focused on fancy football clearly.
That's a really simplistic way to look at it. The pragmatism of France just won out over the more attacking Belgium in the end. Attacking football is not synonymous with 'fancy' football
 

Ainu

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Those are reactions just after the match, I'm sure once they've calmed down they will realise they were wrong to attack the French tactics like that. It's difficult to understand for anyone outside of Belgium just how hard this exit hit them (and us fans). It's the first time in the history of world cup football that our country had a team with a realistic chance at winning the whole thing. It may well be another 50-100 years until that happens again (if ever). That isn't an excuse however and I hope they apologize. But it is hard to keep your emotions in check at such a time.
 

VoN_DamN

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I must say, if you forget about the first half chances Belgium had, you could state France was in control. If you think Varane knew he was going to head Hazards shot over the crossbar... he puts his head in and is lucky. Belgium midfield wasn’t daring enough and created nothing for Lukaku to atleast shoot on target once. Brasil pushed Belgium back whilst France is confortable defending and chooses to lay back. Different intentions.

This Belgian team lacks a bit of cleverness to get passed such a team, but i’d rather have future Hazards and Colina’s then Mbappes and Neymars with referees like this Urugyan Cunha who couldn’t spot an even unquestionable fault from 5 yards away. Giroud nearly hurt himself fowling his Chelsea team star Hazard but the ref waved it away as a dive.

This worries me more than the future of Belgian football. Plenty of nice things to come, still it is a shame. England still has to win and even France could loose it from Croatia.
 

El-Manos

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That's a really simplistic way to look at it. The pragmatism of France just won out over the more attacking Belgium in the end. Attacking football is not synonymous with 'fancy' football
Most arguments on forums are based on very simplistic thinking. We’ll never know but I really do think they would have looked a lot more solid. He would have sorted out the balance in this team. Martinez got the attacking flow going but lacked that balance, was clear in the Japan game.
 

Loublaze

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Most arguments on forums are based on very simplistic thinking. We’ll never know but I really do think they would have looked a lot more solid. He would have sorted out the balance in this team.
I thought they were well balanced and the most exciting team in the tournament tbh. Its not like their defense was all over the place
 

Canagel

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What sour grapes. So bitter. Have they forgotten how they sat back and parked the bus vs Brazil in the 2nd half? Still conceded enough chances to lose that game if Brazil had not been so wasteful.
 

AllezLesDiables

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Obviously yes. There's an outside chance of this generation performing at a decent level in 2020 but as far as World Cups go, it's pretty much over for them. We'll be lucky to have another generation anywhere near them in the next 50 years, probably even longer. So the sad reality for everyone in Belgium today is this is probably as good as it will ever get in our lifetimes. I'm proud of what they achieved but I'll always think of what could've been.

Je suis triste.


The game yesterday was about who scored first. We (Belgium) had some great chances to score first, but it just couldn’t be managed.

Probably will be the best chance to win the WC.

I hope it doesn’t take 50 years to get back to a semi.

I think we’ll be back in 12-16 years
 

Prometheus

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But it was enough as Belgium played with donkeys like Dembele (never liked, still to be convinced despite Spurs fans about to jump on me),
This player confuses me because sometimes he plays like the best midfielder in the world.