Euro: R16: Belgium v Portugal, 6/27/2021

[Adele Dazeem]

Damn, you really need to look up before you post crap. It's showing.
Like when Lyon eliminated the 7 or so times champion Juve less than a year ago.

France was lucky against Argentina. OK chief.

Wow really? Less than a year ago. What a great argument.
The French league is still and has been for over a decade the fifth best league in Europe, behind the big four

 

[Adele Dazeem]

I mean you're the one who said France was all bark and no bite after they finished top of their group.
Then you proceeded to counter my Lukaku in the KO stage stat (1 in 9) with Mbappe (who has 3 in 4). Tremendous argument

Your expertise is very clear to everyone.

You said because Lukaku scores against lower-tier Italian teams that he isn't a top-3 striker and if he fails to score against Italy that means he's bad. [MOD]

 

[Savi]

Lukaku lacks the KO stage goals, that's True. Doesn't mean he is bad in the KO stage. Against Brazil in 2018 for instance he was great even if he didn't score.

 

[GKJ]

There's not a single person that will tell you there is more talent on that Belgium roster than Portugal's.

I don’t know what most of these guys do week to week, I prefer Belgium win as it were and we’ve heard for almost a decade that it’s their time. Portugal always plays through the referee for as long as I’ve been watching international tournaments. The tournament is better for them being out and seems like they’ve injured Belgium enough that they probably have no shot against Italy.

 

[KlausJopling]

Benzema has never scored a goal in knockout round

I do agree. For better or for worse international play is a huge part of many players legacy.

 

[Havre]

Would agree with Savi. Portugal created some, but Belgium never really looked rattled. Portugal were never really able to put them under tough pressure for longer periods. Rather disappointing considering the old and slow backline Belgium got as well as two players in Lukaku and Hazard who are rather poor in their defensive work.

Obviously Portugal created more than Belgium, but that I would argue is most likely a consequence of Belgium scoring first. There was no need for Belgium to be aggressively pushing for a second.

All games from the QF and in would be close to 50/50 games, but I would be shocked if Belgium won this. Italy isn't the strongest team left in terms of attacking power, but I think they will prove a much more difficult team to handle for Belgium than the teams they have played so far. And I think it is quite clear a couple of the best Belgian players are not at the top of their game for this tournament. Add to that limited depth - which I think will hurt them against Italy I think Belgium is among the least likely remaining teams to win. Can't rule any team completely out, but I think Portugal would have had a much better chance to win the Euros if they had gone through then Belgium.

 

[Evilo]

Wow really? Less than a year ago. What a great argument.
The French league is still and has been for over a decade the fifth best league in Europe, behind the big four

Which isn't the point, but obviously you missed the whole debate anyway.

 

[Evilo]

You said because Lukaku scores against lower-tier Italian teams that he isn't a top-3 striker and if he fails to score against Italy that means he's bad. [MOD]

If you think Lukaku was good this game (worthy of being called a top 3 stiker like he expects us to), then by all means, be my guest.

 

[Evilo]

Lukaku lacks the KO stage goals, that's True. Doesn't mean he is bad in the KO stage. Against Brazil in 2018 for instance he was great even if he didn't score.

But as I said originally before someone tainted their panties, you need to establish yourself in those games. And Lukaku has asked to be respected as a top 3 striker. Those games should demonstrate that and he only shows the contrary.

 

[Evilo]

Benzema has never scored a goal in knockout round

I do agree. For better or for worse international play is a huge part of many players legacy.

And people here can tell you that I always said Benzema wasn't a great player with the NT.

 

[Wee Baby Seamus]

So what you're saying is that Hal Robson Kanu is a top 3 striker

 

[Adele Dazeem]

Benzema has never scored a goal in knockout round

I do agree. For better or for worse international play is a huge part of many players legacy.

If KO goals meant as much as this Evilo guy thinks they do, Podolski (for example) would be considered the best of his generation - and that's very very far from the truth.

International success is important to a player's legacy but it does not make or break them as a talent. International success is largly contributed to 1. a fantastic manager who picks a cohesive squad and 2. LUCK

Doing it at the domestic stage takes much more effort and CONTINUOUS progress.

 

[Evilo]

So what you're saying is that Hal Robson Kanu is a top 3 striker

Totally yes.

 

[Adele Dazeem]

And people here can tell you that I always said Benzema wasn't a great player with the NT.

Benzema is the best FRENCH player of the past decade, period.
Mbappe has surpassed him now.

 

[Evilo]

Aime Jacquet is a fantastic manager

 

[Adele Dazeem]

If you think Lukaku was good this game (worthy of being called a top 3 stiker like he expects us to), then by all means, be my guest.

Did I say he was good this game? He was silenced thanks to Dias and Pepe with masterclass man marking.
He's still easily a top-5 striker.

 

[S E P H]

That first half was brutal, but wonderful second half. I thought the better team lost and would've loved to see extra time because Portugal was taking it to Belgium. Belgium as a whole couldn't get outside of their zone so I wouldn't be too harsh against Lukaku. He did make a fantastic target man for the defenders to aim for and he ran the ball out of pressure like ten times in the last half of the game alone. He was clearly burned out by the 70th minute. T. Hazard is a brilliant player and has nothing to do with his goal, wish I could watch more of him because you win with players that brings his strengths. If Belgium played like that though again in this tournament, I don't really see how they can honestly win the thing. They aren't a defensive club by any stretch of the imagination, even if Martinez wants to play a back five.

 

[TheMoreYouKnow]

It also shows how old Belgium's team is. They don't have anyone running forward because the other attackers they have know they're likely to get hurt if they do it too much. The beauty for KDB at City is he doesn't really have to run at all.

I think they also just had their defense set up very deep. Obviously worried about how well they'd do if they have to run after balls. As a result their attacking players other than Lukaku picked up the ball pretty deeply and had to cover tons of ground with the ball. At one point Jon Champion on ESPN remarked on how offensive Portugal were because their full backs pushed up...but I was like 'just how many people do you think you want to keep back to guard only Lukaku?" They had their two central defenders on Lukaku alone for much of the game and those two Portuguese guys are good when they keep play in front of them. Not exactly shocking that Lukaku isn't doing much in that scenario.

 

[Duchene2MacKinnon]

Lol

 

[Live in the Now]

Lol

Good callback

 

[Nathaniel Skywalker]

Portugal dominated that game. But besides 2016 lady luck is never on our side

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

BVBelgium showing up once again.

Meunier needs to play like this at club level.

 

[ItsFineImFine]

I was hoping for a comeback but let's be honest it's nice to not have to put up with another match of Portugal diving and whining all over the pitch.

Also not sure why Martinez waited so long on his subs especially leaving Thorgan Hazard alone to defend the left side.

 

[Bures Elbow]

First of all, congratulations Belgium and good luck with your journey throughout the rest of Euro 2020, good game.

Second of all, this game is 100% on Fernando Santos. The conservative, cautious approach of playing not to lose instead of playing to win is at the heart of this loss, all it takes is a shot like that to upend your entire game plan that rests on a knife edge. Patricio should have saved it, ya it swerved but it was practically right down the middle of the net. Belgium defended deeper than they usually did as they were worried about chasing our attackers in the channels and having to turn, and pumping balls into the box at height was never the answer. We needed to swiftly combine and pass the ball on the ground to create openings, the few times we did we really cut them open and led to opportunities.

Felix or Bruno Fernandes needed to start, and Bernardo was isolated and alone on the right with Dalot offering practically nothing...complete travesty he was playing instead of Semedo ( who atleast played well vs France and was on the bench) as the right side was awful. Cancelo a big loss here.

Jota missed two sitters, shocking misses as he was so clinical for most of the season. Both should have been completely buried. Dias headed right at the keeper, usually he's clinical with those...Gurreiro's shot was unlucky. Felix should have done better with this.

We should have attacked them from the start, Bernardo should have started central with Felix on, played Bruno Fernandes in a match of this magnitude as the space in midfield for him was ideal.

Now he goes out and says the we must win the World Cup, unbelievable. We never will win it with you at the helm, with the players we have available we should play far more positively, and far better soccer. It's your job to put the pieces together, and clearly he can't as he only knows how to play one way: A cautious approach not to lose and rely on individual brilliance.

 

[TheShape]

First of all, congratulations Belgium and good luck with your journey throughout the rest of Euro 2020, good game.

Second of all, this game is 100% on Fernando Santos. The conservative, cautious approach of playing not to lose instead of playing to win is at the heart of this loss, all it takes is a shot like that to upend your entire game plan that rests on a knife edge. Patricio should have saved it, ya it swerved but it was practically right down the middle of the net. Belgium defended deeper than they usually did as they were worried about chasing our attackers in the channels and having to turn, and pumping balls into the box at height was never the answer. We needed to swiftly combine and pass the ball on the ground to create openings, the few times we did we really cut them open and led to opportunities.

Felix or Bruno Fernandes needed to start, and Bernardo was isolated and alone on the right with Dalot offering practically nothing...complete travesty he was playing instead of Semedo ( who atleast played well vs France and was on the bench) as the right side was awful. Cancelo a big loss here.

Jota missed two sitters, shocking misses as he was so clinical for most of the season. Both should have been completely buried. Dias headed right at the keeper, usually he's clinical with those...Gurreiro's shot was unlucky. Felix should have done better with this.

We should have attacked them from the start, Bernardo should have started central with Felix on, played Bruno Fernandes in a match of this magnitude as the space in midfield for him was ideal.

Now he goes out and says the we must win the World Cup, unbelievable. We never will win it with you at the helm, with the players we have available we should play far more positively, and far better soccer. It's your job to put the pieces together, and clearly he can't as he only knows how to play one way: A cautious approach not to lose and rely on individual brilliance.

Well said. Santos is way in over his head, game has passed him by. When I saw him field 2 DMs against Hungary I knew this team wasn't going anywhere. So much talent wasted on the bench, criminal.

That should be it for Patricio too, aside from his double save on Pogba/Griezmann, he looked a stepped behind all tournament.