World Cup: R16: Belgium vs. Japan, 7/2/2018

Who advances?


  • Total voters
    37
  • Poll closed .

kihei

McEnroe: The older I get, the better I used to be.
Jun 14, 2006
42,551
10,140
Toronto
I don't know about the talent differential, but Japan is a hell of a lot more fun to watch than Russia.
 

Eisen

Registered User
Sep 30, 2009
16,737
3,101
Duesseldorf
Hasebe probably had a word with them before the game. He just won the German Cup final against Munich. This feels very similar.
 

PanniniClaus

Registered User
Oct 12, 2006
8,369
3,129
I don’t think that Japan has a center forward of Dzyuba quality. Then there are also Dzhikiya, Kokorin, and Igor Denisov, but they couldn’t make the WC for different reasons (ACL injury for the first two and “bad blood” between the player and the coach for the latter). Moreover, I think that the Russian 3rd string goalie is better than the Japan’s starting goalie. This is where Russia has always had great depth. So if there’s an overall advantage in talent for Japan, it’s marginal at best.
Perhaps...Japan have no one with the presence of Dzyuba but he only had 7 goals this year.

Muto had the best strike rate but they've gone with Osako.

Japan has done ok here.
 

TheMoreYouKnow

Registered User
May 3, 2007
16,385
3,413
38° N 77° W
Japan for me seems way too open, you can't play Belgium in such a way that Belgium has numbers on you going forward because you actually push up with 8 players when in possession. Eventually that's gonna bite you in the you know what.
 

Eisen

Registered User
Sep 30, 2009
16,737
3,101
Duesseldorf
Instead of doing the little heel kick he should just have turned right and use the right foot. Bad decision making.
 

Eisen

Registered User
Sep 30, 2009
16,737
3,101
Duesseldorf
Japan for me seems way too open, you can't play Belgium in such a way that Belgium has numbers on you going forward because you actually push up with 8 players when in possession. Eventually that's gonna bite you in the you know what.
If you want to win the game you have to play that way. They wait for the counter, the can't pull back completely.
 

Firsov99

Registered User
Feb 17, 2006
4,595
3,282
Perhaps...Japan have no one with the presence of Dzyuba but he only had 7 goals this year.

Muto had the best strike rate but they've gone with Osako.

Japan has done ok here.
This is because he didn’t play much. He was on the bench with Zenit at first, and then he was loaned to an average club. But this World Cup is showing how good he can really be.

I would like to say though that I am impressed with the Japanese players’ technical ability. They definitely hold an advantage here.
 

kihei

McEnroe: The older I get, the better I used to be.
Jun 14, 2006
42,551
10,140
Toronto
If this is a David and Goliath match up, David had a decent half.
 

Blender

Registered User
Dec 2, 2009
51,305
45,253
Tip my hat to Japan for the first half. They have been good enough with their counterattack to be a threat to score, which has kept Belgium from over committing on the attack, but Japan has also kept Belgium from scoring. Belgium could use to be a little quicker with their attacks when they get in the box to try and open up some lanes.

Japan has especially been glued to De Bruyne when Belgium has the ball, they need some better movement so he can get open.
 

ViD

#CBJNeedHugs
Sponsor
Apr 21, 2007
29,625
19,023
Blue Jackets Area
They are not looking like that against Belgium.
Kudos to Russia, I'm honestly happy for the host, but that game was not pretty.
Yes, I didn’t like how we played, but I don’t know if we could’ve gotten this outcome had we played any different with the players we had.
 

Blender

Registered User
Dec 2, 2009
51,305
45,253
By the way, Spain was absolutely perfect in qualifiers. Perhaps the coach change had its effect on the team
It absolutely did. They are loaded with talent at an individual level, but that was not a good team in the World Cup.
 

Eisen

Registered User
Sep 30, 2009
16,737
3,101
Duesseldorf
Yes, I didn’t like how we played, but I don’t know if we could’ve gotten this outcome had we played any different with the players we had.
Agreed with that as well. In the end, you have to play to win. And results matter, but that Spain could have been pressured more. I see where they are coming from, given their performance right before the world cup. You are on home turf, you don't want to be embarassed.
 

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