Brazil stunned as World Cup run crashes
Belgium ousts five-time world champions, 2-1
Brazil’s run at soccer’s World Cup ended in stunned silence Friday.
Belgium eliminated the fivetime world champions, 2-1, in Kazan, Russia.
The win was as deserved as it was shocking:
Brazil had been among the best teams left in a field that already had seen out pre-tournament favourites such as Germany and past champions Spain and Argentina.
Belgium took the lead against the run of play in the 13th minute, when Brazil’s Fernandinho turned a corner kick into his own net.
Brazil, which had the better of play until the goal, seemed stunned by its first deficit of the tournament.
But it soon got worse: Kevin De Bruyne buried a long shot through a group of Brazilian defenders in the 31st minute.
Shocked to be behind by a goal, Brazil seemed absolutely flummoxed to be down by two.
Belgium’s physical play also knocked the Brazilians off their stride again and again.
And when Brazil did find a way through, its shots either were blocked by scrambling Belgians or pushed away by goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, who had a strong game that included several diving saves and a last-minute leaping one to deny Neymar.
Brazil made the final minutes interesting when substitute Renato Augusto converted a header in the 76th minute to cut the deficit to 2-1, but — pressed on by a pro-Brazil crowd — the Selecao never found the second they needed.
Brazil’s elimination, and the exit of Uruguay at the hands of France earlier in the day, guarantees the tournament will have a European champion.
The France-Belgium winner will face the survivor of the side of the bracket that plays Saturday: Sweden vs. England, and then host Russia against Croatia.
It also raised the odds for a first-time champion. France (1998) and England (’66) are the only teams left who have previously won a World Cup.
Brazil’s defeat, four years after it was hammered in the semifinals by Germany on home soil, will be tough for it to swallow.
Brazil entered its game against Belgium riding three straight shutouts and 310 scoreless minutes by its defence. With teams like Germany and Spain and arch rival Argentina long gone, its fans had come to see the team’s first world championship since 2002 as something of a destiny this summer.
But Belgium did everything right Friday: It muscled Brazil’s playmakers off the ball and counterattacked at pace.
Safely in front at halftime, it merely doubled down on those tactics — holding Brazil at bay on one end, and then tormenting it with breakouts by Eden Hazard and De Bruyne at the other whenever it could.
The Belgians swallowed one another in hugs at the final whistle.
Many of the Brazilians just sank to their knees when the game ended.