Written by Soravit Sophastienphong
These notes were gathered in preparation for our panel discussion of the favorites and dark horses for this year’s World Cup in Russia.
- Manager: Roberto Martinez, assisted by Thierry Henry
- 17 games managed, 12W, 4D, 1L
- 3rd in FIFA rankings
- Winners of Group H in WC qualifiers
- Won 9, drew 1
- Scored 43 goals
- 12 WC Appearances to date
- Reached semifinals in 1986, losing to champions Argentina
- Last 8 WC goals came in 70 minutes or after
- Group G
- Panama, Tunisia, England
- Won group with Algeria, Russia, and South Korea in 2014
- Knocked out 1-0 in QF by Argentina (Higuain)
- Second in group with Italy, Belgium, Ireland, and Sweden in 2016 with 6 points
- Knocked out 3-1 by Wales in QF
- Latest friendly: 4-0 Saudi Arabia
- Key match: 3-3 Mexico
- Lack of defensive organization
- 5 defenders sat deep, 5 defenders vs 7 attackers
- De Bruyne criticized tactical system
- Too many players who want the ball and dribble → lack of possession
- Key Players
- Kevin De Bruyne
- Radja Nainggolan
- Romelu Lukaku
- Belgium’s top goalscorer
- Eden Hazard
- Vincent Kompany
References:
Belgium at the FIFA World Cup. (2018, February 12). In Wikipedia. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Belgium_at_the_FIFA_World_Cup&oldid=825342321
Belgium at the UEFA European Championship. (2017, November 27). In Wikipedia. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Belgium_at_the_UEFA_European_Championship&oldid=812399944
Belgium’s Latest 28-Man Squad Is So Good It’s Actually Scary. (2018, March 16). Retrieved April 29, 2018, from http://www.sportbible.com/football/news-best-xi-belgiums-latest-28-man-squad-is-so-good-its-actually-scary-20180316
Marsden, R. (n.d.). Germany, Brazil and Belgium Top Updated 2018 Men’s FIFA Rankings. Retrieved April 29, 2018, from http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2770109-germany-brazil-and-belgium-top-updated-2018-mens-fifa-rankings
sport, G. (2017, December 1). World Cup 2018: team-by-team guide to all 32 countries. The Guardian. Retrieved from http://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/dec/01/world-cup-2018-team-by-team-guide
World Cup 2018: Belgium team profile. (n.d.). Retrieved April 29, 2018, from http://www.skysports.com/football/news/12098/11300029/world-cup-2018-belgium-team-profile