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From three at the back to four at the back, but from completely overwhelmed to completely vulnerable.
Belgium second place in their opening World Cup 2022 In the game, I was lucky not to fall behind, and even luckier to beat Canada. A response was needed against Morocco and head coach Roberto Martinez responded accordingly, changing people and systems.
Neither had the desired effect.This Two goals zero loss to Morocco That leaves them second in Group F with a game to play but a long way from progress to the last 16 and a tough clash with Croatia.
Their second appearance in Qatar was tedious, predictable and mono-paced, relying entirely more on moments of inspiration – mostly from an increasingly excited Kevin De Bruyne – than on any A pattern of play, a clear approach to play or a regular final third threat.
In short, it was Belgium’s poor possession of the ball. Morocco let them have a lot of possession, no doubt partly because it was so easy to defend: attackers on foot, midfield extremely safe and slow passing, full-backs woefully lacking in quality.
Eden Hazard speaks before the game About Belgium’s best people behind them, but believe that there is enough magic, enough high-quality players, to still have a significant impact on the game. Martinez has said something similar. Based on the current evidence, it is difficult to make any assessment other than that this is an extremely optimistic, short-sighted view of those who do not realize how far they have fallen.
Sadly, the captain and the number 10 are a prime example.
Aside from one successful dribble and one shot after half-time, he was completely ineffective in terms of passing, creativity or personality. The rest of the time, watching him in a wide turning circle, habitually required to play the way he faces, that even skilled defensive opponents can’t escape is a sad indictment of his recent career.
It has been almost a full year since he played back-to-back La Liga games – the last two games before Christmas in 2021.
And the boy did show that at every inability to change direction, every failed attempt to dribble past a defender who faced him, and every turnover near the hour mark.
But it’s not just dangerous. It’s just that as captain, as the central cog in the attack, he is the face of Belgium’s current failures.
Axel Witsel has been playing centre-back for Atletico Madrid all season but hasn’t been particularly good. At the heart of the Red Devils’ midfield, he was again a man who was too easily bypassed, yet another man who provided too little ball advancement, either through passing or dribbling. He was one of the best all-around options in Europe in his era, but now at 33 he doesn’t have the legs to protect, recover or provide cover for teammates who do too little.
The age of the centre-backs is now detailed, but the full-backs on either side of them – not wing-backs today but certainly not improving the defense with a change of role – have had poor seasons by their own standards.
No matter which aspect of this Belgian squad you want to look at, there has been a lack of renewal, which in turn has led to a decline in stamina and a slower pace of play.
It also doesn’t help that two truly elite talents, De Bruyne and Courtois, don’t have days off either. The City midfielder is increasingly trying to do too much for himself. The Real Madrid goalkeeper was twice blocked from set-pieces aimed directly at his goal. Unlike the top corner curlers, these were the crosses that others were able to run past and distract the “keeper”; the first time he got away with an offside call, but when it happened again, he got no reprieve. No excuses either.
Martinez ended the match with Charles de Catelaar, a talented young player who had made just 10 appearances before this game. It’s another example of Martinez failing to fit in with the next generation quickly and well enough. Often enough.
Amadou Onana (3 appearances), Zeno Debast (3), Lois Openda (6), Jeremy Doku (11) are in the squad, while Yari Verschaeren (7), Alexis Saelemakers (9) and Sebastiaan Bornauw ( 3 times) are not there. Each of them are other talented potential options for the team — whether or not form dictates whether they should be in Qatar now — who have been largely overlooked or not given enough opportunities to integrate into the squad.
Failing to rebuild a team with so many components is all up to the coaching staff, but the day’s performance is all down to the players.
Martinez had a choice in the final group game: keep faith and trust in what he’s done for the past four years, or make big decisions and many changes.
Only one in particular has the potential to upend the outcome from the team. Another will end this cycle for the national team.
Belgium are the second best team after Morocco in every part of the pitch. It was a well-deserved result that left the group wide open, but even if the Europeans did manage to sneak in, few would be afraid to face them.
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