Belgium’s players are tempering expectations for the World Cup after Sunday evening’s 1-0 defeat against the Dutch national team. While they are confident they can go far, they don’t consider themselves a top favourite.
Belgium failed to score for the first time in fifty international matches and fell behind in the Johan Cruijff ArenA in the final phase. Virgil van Dijk headed in after a corner.
“In Belgium there will always be question marks. If we win, it is too euphoric. If we win without playing properly, it is not convincing. If we lose and we play well, then there are again question marks,” said goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
“We are not going to the World Cup as a top favorite, but we do have a good team. If we are in shape, we could go far, like in Russia (third at World Cup 2018, ed.).”
Virgil van Dijk scored the winning goal with a header.
Virgil van Dijk scored the winning goal with a header.
Photo: Getty Images
‘We have nothing to lose at the World Cup’
Flank player Timothy Castagne also noted after the match in Amsterdam that Belgium is not one of the absolute favorites at the World Cup, although he does not necessarily see that as a disadvantage. “We have nothing to lose at the World Cup. Last year we weren’t the dominating team we’ve been and so we go to the World Cup without pressure,” he said.
The Leicester City player thinks Belgium still needs time to improve. “We tried something different up front that allowed us to push through more. There’s something in it, but we’ve been practicing it for a week. So it’s not perfect yet.”
Thierry Henry, who replaced the suspended Roberto Martínez as national coach, also saw plenty of room for improvement. “We have to stay positive, even if we haven’t been able to score,” said the former French top striker.
“The Nations League is now over, now we have to focus on the next thing. And in it we have to prove that we have found answers to the questions that still concern us.”
