Belgium advances, knocks out Brazil
Belgium reached the World Cup semifinals for the first time in 32 years by holding off five-time champion Brazil, 2-1, Friday, sending Neymar home without living up to the expectations of being soccer’s most expensive player.
Belgium scored the decisive goal on a counterattack just after a corner had been taken by Neymar. Romelu Lukaku surged forward with the ball and Kevin De Bruyne put it in the net to give Belgium a 2-0 lead in the 31st minute in Kazan, Russia.
“This was the biggest test for us,” De Bruyne said.
The opener came after a bit of good fortune. Fernandinho’s trailing arm inadvertently helped Belgium captain Vincent Kompany’s header land in his own net in the 13th minute.
As Belgium lost cohesiveness in the second half and Brazil’s changes stirred the team, substitute Renato Augusto reduced the deficit in the 76th minute with a header.
But it was too late for Brazil to muster an equalizer as efforts to force the game into extra time were thwarted by Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
For the third time in a World Cup – after 1982 and 2006 – the semifinals will feature only European teams. Belgium and France will meet in St. Petersburg on Tuesday. The next day in Moscow, it will be either England or Sweden against either Russia or Croatia.
Humiliated by Germany, 7-1, in the semifinals fours year ago on home soil, Brazil didn’t even get that far this time.
“This is beating Brazil in the World Cup, in the knockout,” Belgium coach Roberto Martinez said. “Just treasure it and pass it down in the generations.”
Belgium is on a 24-match unbeaten streak.
France 2, Uruguay 0: In Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, Antoine Griezmann’s fluke goal helped France earn a place in the semifinals.
Griezmann’s shot in the 61st minute went right into the hands of Uruguay goalkeeper Fernando Muslera. But the ball popped off his palms and looped over his head and into the net.
Raphael Varane gave France the lead with a header in the 40th minute. Griezmann sent in a free kick from the right side and Varane raced across the area. He got his head to the ball and sent it into the far corner behind Muslera.