No. 2 Belgium fail to reach knockout stage at 2022 World Cup
AL RAYYAN, Qatar (AP) — The ball reached Romelu Lukaku proper in entrance of aim with seconds remaining. Score, and he’d ship Belgium into the spherical of 16 of the World Cup.
Somehow, he missed.
Belgium and its growing older era of gamers had been eradicated from the event Thursday after a 0-0 draw with Croatia, which superior because the second-place workforce in Group F behind Morocco.
Minutes after the sport, Belgium coach Roberto Martinez introduced he’d be leaving his position after greater than six years — a call he mentioned he had reached earlier than the World Cup began.
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His departure may simply have been delayed.
Lukaku, Belgium’s report scorer however solely lately again from harm, got here on as a halftime substitute and squandered a number of nice possibilities, the very best coming in stoppage time when Thorgan Hazard’s cross fell to him on the again publish, barely 2 meters out. The ball struck Lukaku’s midriff and as a substitute of rolling into the online, it bounced again throughout the entrance of the aim and was gathered by Croatia goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic.
Earlier, Lukaku hit the within of the publish with the aim nearly unguarded. Another probability, from a header in entrance of aim, sailed over the bar following a cross from Kevin De Bruyne.
Lukaku punched the aspect of the dugout as he walked off after the ultimate whistle, knocking the plexiglass display screen misplaced. Moments earlier, he was sobbing within the arms of Belgium assistant coach Thierry Henry.
“We could have won this game by three goals and we’d be walking away feeling very different,” Martinez mentioned.
“I thought (Lukaku) moved very well, got in great situations, and what was missing was the finish. It was the difference between hitting the post and going in, and hitting the post and going out.”
Croatia, the 2018 runner-up led by Luka Modric, will try to make one other deep run on the World Cup after additionally reaching the semifinals in 1998.
The Croats will subsequent play Japan on Monday.
“This is a team mix of experience and youth,” mentioned Croatia coach Zlatko Dalić, who added of Belgium: “We were lucky that they didn’t take their chances.”
Belgium is dealing with the break-up of its gifted however underachieving squad after failing to stay as much as its standing because the second-ranked workforce and one of many event favourites. What has lengthy been referred to as Belgium’s “Golden Generation” — now that includes six gamers with greater than 100 appearances — is ready to separate with the World Cup semifinal look in 2018 as its peak.
The workforce, which has confronted studies of infighting and divisions between gamers throughout the event in Qatar, scored just one aim in three video games and saved its finest efficiency till its last match. It got here too late.
The health problems with Lukaku — injured for many of this season with thigh and hamstring issues — have proved to be an enormous blow for the workforce. The Inter Milan striker missed the 1-0 win over Canada, got here on as an 81st-minute substitute within the 2-0 loss to Morocco, after which performed the second half towards Croatia.
Throughout the event, De Bruyne particularly has discovered himself in nice positions across the space however with nobody to feed.
With Lukaku there, Belgium abruptly had a presence up entrance to concern Croatia’s protection, even when he was visibly not absolutely match. His lack of match sharpness proved expensive when it got here to his ending.
De Bruyne and Lukaku can be again for the European Championship in 2024 and possibly the following World Cup in 2026. But the likes of Jan Vertonghen, Toby Alderweireld, Axel Witsel and Dries Mertens might need performed their final main event.
Maybe even Eden Hazard, who was dropped for the Croatia sport and — on the age of 31 — has misplaced his outdated powers after so many accidents.
Martinez, who’s prone to resume his profession as a membership coach, mentioned he had extra regrets concerning the loss to Morocco than the draw with Croatia.
“I think today we were ourselves again,” he mentioned.
VIDEO REVIEW
Croatia was awarded a penalty within the fifteenth minute when Andrej Kramaric tumbled underneath the problem of Yannick Carrasco. The resolution was overturned after an offside was noticed on video evaluate, with Modric able to take the penalty.
BEST DEFENDER
Dalić described Josko Gvardiol because the “best defender in the world” after the center-back produced a clearance off Lukaku’s bootlaces within the last minutes. “He’s only 20,” Dalić mentioned. “Even if he’s not at the moment No. 1, he’ll turn out to be No. 1.”
MISSING OUT
Belgium did not get out of its group for under the second time in its final eight appearances on the World Cup. The different time was in 1998.
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