Belgium’s Lukaku content to face talented Brazil
KAZAN, Russia — Belgium striker Romelu Lukaku won’t be heard complaining that his team’s reward for winning its World Cup group is ending up in what appears to be the far harder side of the draw and meeting five-time champion Brazil in the quarterfinals.
Today’s game in Kazan (11 a.m. on TSN/Fox) brings together the two highest-ranked teams left in the tournament following Germany’s early exit. Brazil is ranked second and Belgium third. Whoever wins plays either France or Uruguay, who meet in today’s earlier game (7 a.m. on TSN/Fox).
At a news conference Thursday, Lukaku said Belgium’s disappointing experience at the 2016 European Championship showed nothing should be taken for granted in football and that Brazil will provide a “benchmark” for his team.
“If you want to achieve something, you have to fight for it every time,” said Lukaku, who has impressed at the World Cup with four goals and is second in the Golden Boot race, behind England’s Harry Kane with six.
“Everyone was saying you should come in second [in Group G] … but look at the European Championship, when we had the same route as England now and things went wrong straight away.”
At Euro 2016, Belgium was considered to be on the easier side of the draw to make the final but ended up being knocked out at the quarter-final stage by Wales, which was in its first major competition in nearly 60 years.
England, which came second behind Belgium in Group G, has arguably ended up on the easier side of the draw after the two sides made big changes for their final group match, which Belgium won 1-0.
Belgium rallied from two goals down to beat Japan 3-2 in the round of 16.
England plays Sweden in the quarter-finals on Saturday, at face value a far easier proposition than meeting Brazil. The winner of England vs. Sweden will then meet either Croatia or Russia.
Fans of Brazil got some bad news Thursday, when it was announced that right back Danilo is out of the World Cup after injuring his ankle in training.
The Brazilian soccer federation said Danilo suffered a ligament injury in his left ankle.