Martinez’s Red Devils hope fortune favours brave

After a surreal night on the Baltic where England struggled to contain their satisfaction with a defeat that offers them an easier path to the final, Belgium are trusting that World Cup fortune will favour the brave.

The last time this “golden generation” of Red Devils thought they had a soft draw they blew it, coach Roberto Martinez said. So now, they are ready to face anyone, after Japan tomorrow.

Brazil lying in wait

But Martinez, who before the game had said winning was not a priority and made nine changes to his lineup, refused to look at the outcome that way and emphasised the vagaries of football.

“To be successful in a World Cup is not about facing the opponent that everyone expects is going to be giving you the golden key to go through,” the Spaniard said, noting the travails of Germany and other top teams so far. “I don’t think that in the World Cup you can be successful by trying to hope to get an easy path.”

Martinez has hailed the pleasure his whole squad have been taking on the pitch and has worked to build a team spirit whereas clashes of egos bedeviled the Belgians under his predecessor Marc Wilmots at the last World Cup and at Euro 2016.

Avoiding questions about Brazil lying in wait after the Japan game, Martinez stressed that his focus was on today’s game and on his players continuing to enjoy their football.

However, Japan’s gambles keep paying off. It was a gamble to replace their coach two months before the World Cup, it was a gamble to make sweeping changes to the starting line-up for Thursday’s match against Poland, and it was a gamble to settle for a 1-0 loss and hope Senegal couldn’t steal their spot in the last 16.

These wagers all came off as the Blue Samurai progressed to the knockout stages.

Something special needed

“The results are everything,” said veteran midfielder Keisuke Honda after the game. “It was brilliant managerial judgment. I would not have been able to do that if I were the manager.”

Nishino’s decision has also been applauded back home, where Japanese fans marked the team’s progression with celebrations on the crowded Shibuya crossing in Tokyo and by jumping into the canal that runs through central Osaka.

Even Japanese chief cabinet secretary Yoshihide Suga appeared impressed at Nishino’s move.

“It must have been a deliberate strategy after paying due attention to the rules,” Suga said.

“The important thing is that they made it through the group stage.”

While Thursday’s gamble may have paid off, the fact remains that Japan will indeed need to produce something special if they are to beat Belgium. — Reuters