Morocco vs Belgium Recap At World Cup 2022

1 year ago

The Belgian team advanced to the second match of the group stage of the 2022 World Cup with many doubts after a somewhat tricky victory over Canada on the opening day. Michy Batshuayi's single goal is certainly not enough to cover up the fact that the age factor is influencing the golden generation of the European Red Devils. And a Morocco full of determination and enthusiasm has revealed to all that this is not the Belgian team that can challenge the World Cup 2022.

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Age problem

Before the second match against Morocco in the group stage, midfielder Kevin De Bruyne frankly shared: “No chance - we’re too old.”


That's what the brightest star of the Belgian team now shares about the chance that his team can take the throne at the 2022 World Cup final in Qatar. Perhaps there will be many fans who have to ask why a spiritual leader like De Bruyne underestimates the home team so much, especially in the context that they just got a victory on the opening day and have in their hands the most highly-rated team in Group F at the moment. But perhaps only an insider like De Bruyne can really understand the strength and problems that the Belgian team is facing at the moment.

 

Let's look at the most obvious problem with Belgium's starting XI against Morocco and that's what De Bruyne wants to talk about. The average age of Roberto Martinez's players is up to 30.5 years old, 3 years older than his opponents, who are names from Africa. There are 7 names in the Belgian squad who have reached the age of 30 and they are all important pillars of the Red Devils during the past years such as De Bruyne, Eden Hazard, Vertonghen, and goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. The remaining faces like Thorgan Hazard or Batshuayi are even 29 years old. Only Amadou Onana is classified as a young talent at the age of 21. But Onana will also not be able to participate in the final match of the group stage due to receiving enough yellow cards.

Belgium vs Morocco recap: Performance goes down

Looking at the old names present in the match against Morocco, perhaps fans will also suddenly realize that we have just passed a decade of the most talented golden generations of world football. Originating from the 2014 World Cup, the talented Red Devil players have crossed at least 4 different major tournaments to assert their position and find a foothold on the world football map.

 

But in the fifth consecutive major tournament they attended in Qatar, the performance against Morocco did not really convince even the most optimistic fans of this team. A disjointed system that lacks vitality is probably something that everyone can recognize after what the Belgian team showed against the Moroccan team. Despite controlling up to 70% of possession in the first half, Belgium's shot could not help them bring home a goal against a much less-rated opponent. Attacking a lot but could not get a goal, bad signals came to the Belgian team when Hakim Ziyech's disallowed goal in the last seconds of the first half was like a harbinger that the second half would be nothing easy.

 

 

 

Morocco has really shown their determination to be able to find the first victory in the group stage of a World Cup since 1998. Meanwhile, on the opposite side, the Red Devils of Europe are still unbeaten in the group stage of the World Cup since 2002. But the performance in the next 45 minutes of coach Roberto Martinez's team did not show that they wanted to keep that record. Romain Saiss' goal for Morocco in the 73rd minute seemed like it would become medicine to make Belgium's bravery wake up, perhaps the more expected it will only bring more disappointments.

 

In the context of being led, the fans did not seem to see any resistance as well as any signal that the Belgian team could come back against the representative from Africa. And then Aboukhlal's goal in the 90 + 2 minutes could be seen as the end not only of the match but possibly the end of the golden generation of the Belgian team.


By this time, perhaps fans must have really questioned the performance and true strength of the Belgian team at the moment. This is the team that has topped the FIFA rankings for nearly 4 years, from October 2018 to February 2002. A team that is always highly appreciated thanks to the outstanding individuals in the squad.


Belgium vs Croatia: What to expect from the Belgian team

 

 

Up to now, the Red Devils of coach Roberto Martinez are still in second place on FIFA with a safe cumulative score compared to even the other top contenders of this year's World Cup, France or Argentina. Therefore, it is not difficult to realize the expectations of the fans and the performances of the Belgian team in the tournament can be considered as the last for the golden generation of this collective. But right from the opening match, the lack of conviction in the Belgian team's play became a warning bell for the Red Devils in a World Cup that was full of surprises. At this time, the prospect of having to stop in the group stage of the Belgian team is becoming clearer than ever when they will have to face Croatia - the team will also need a destination to firmly hold the ticket to the knockout round.


Croatia at the 2022 World Cup is also not a young team when the average age of this team against Canada in this match on December 1 is also up to 29.5 years old. But unlike their neighbor in Europe, Luka Modric and his teammates have really shown the level of the World Cup runner-up with a spectacular comeback against the youthfulness of Canada.


The Belgian team now probably understands that the match against Croatia will mean nothing more than a final if they do not want to leave the biggest football festival on the planet right at the group stage.

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The pressure of the "Golden Generation" label

“Where did it go wrong? We probably also attack badly because we are too old, that must be it now, surely?”


That's what veteran midfielder Jan Vertonghen shared after a somewhat unexpected defeat for Morocco. The harsh truth that Belgium is having age problems is no longer shared by De Bruyne alone, but another teammate has to really admit it. But according to former player Pablo Zabaleta, the fact that Belgian players underestimate themselves is the problem that prevents them from being in good form at this World Cup.

 

 

The problem I think Belgium has had is that the players think they are not the same team as they were in the past. That's not the spirit you should bring to the World Cup. They still have players good enough to beat anyone.


Obviously, at the moment, the problem that most Belgian players are facing and pressing on their feet is the spirit. They are under pressure to win when they have been labeled the golden generation all these years. When a team possesses too many human advantages, it means that the pressure they face will be equally great.


I think the players were haunted by the fear of failure. You can see that everyone has worked so hard on the training ground, but you can't see the same image in the game.


That is the admission of coach Roberto Martinez himself after a somewhat weak defeat against the representative in Africa in the second match of the group stage. He clearly understands how many difficulties the players face and how heavy responsibility he himself is. As the golden generation of football Belgium is the second-ranked team according to FIFA rankings, it would be a disaster if the Red Devils are eliminated from the World Cup after the first 3 matches of the group stage.


Conclusion

As mentioned, the Belgian team will have to win against Croatia if they want to hold the ticket to the next round. At this time, Luka Modrid and his teammates have got 4 points equal to Morocco, and are sharing the top position with the representative in Africa. Only a victory can help Belgium regain its position, and regain the image of the team that has been an obsession with every national team in the world.


Mr. Martinez himself is probably also feeling how much pressure is on himself when he fully holds the peak period of the brightest generation of world football. The fact that Belgian football is lacking in inheritance from the next generation also means that the Spanish strategist needs to create a special milestone for this golden generation of Belgium before everything goes into oblivion.


Failure is still not the end for the Red Devils at this year's World Cup, but it is clear that Croatia will be a much more annoying opponent than Morocco showed in the last match. Belgium will need to play with 200% of their strength if they want to prove to all that they are really a big man on the world football map.