History not on side of either Brazil or Belgium
To get past Belgium in the World Cup quarterfinals Friday, Brazil has to do something it has not been able to do since it last won the tournament in 2002: overcome European opposition in the knockout stages.
Since beating Germany 2-0 in the 2002 World Cup final, the five-time winner has been eliminated by European sides in the three subsequent competitions. Brazil lost to France and the Netherlands in the quarterfinals of the 2006 and 2010 World Cups and was humiliated 7-1 by Germany in the semifinals four years ago at home.
Fortunately for the Selecao, Belgium has a poor record against South American sides at the World Cup. Not only has Belgium not won any of its games against South American teams in the knockout stages, it hasn’t even scored. Most recently, Belgium lost 1-0 to Argentina in the 2014 quarterfinals.
The core of that side remains in place in Russia, where Belgium has won all four of its matches, including coming back from down 2-0 to beat Japan in the round of 16.
That 3-2 victory over Japan was the first time a team has overcome a two-goal deficit to win a World Cup match outright since West Germany beat England in 1970. It has fueled confidence inside the Belgium camp that it can deal with adversity and make the World Cup semifinals for the first time since 1986.
“Maybe it’s this sort of match that we needed for the future,” Belgium’s captain, Eden Hazard, said.
Unlike the game against Japan, Belgium coach Roberto Martinez said, he team will be the underdog Friday in Kazan, Russia.
“I think it’s a game that when you are a little boy, you dream of being involved in a World Cup, facing Brazil in a quarterfinal,” he said, “so from our point of view, we can enjoy from the first second.”
Brazil coach Tite dismissed talk that his team is the favorite to win the match against Belgium, let alone the World Cup.
“Everything is open, up for grabs,” he said.
As has been the case throughout the tournament, Brazil forward Neymar probably will receive much of the attention during the match, both for his skills and speed as well as his on-field theatrics. Neymar will have to avoid picking up another yellow card, as doing so would mean he would be forced to sit out the semifinal match should Brazil prevail. Others walking a yellow-card tightrope are midfielder Philippe Coutinho and defender Filipe Luis.
For Belgium, defender Jan Vertonghen and Kevin De Bruyne are carrying yellow cards as well.
France vs. Uruguay
When France and Uruguay meet Friday in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, the match will showcase several cross-border friendships.
France’s Antoine Griezmann plays for Atlético Madrid, on which Uruguayan defenders Diego Godin and Jose Maria Gimenez are his teammates. Godin is the godfather of Griezmann’s daughter.
Godin and Gimenez will try to stop Griezmann, and Uruguay striker Luis Suarez will be opposing Barcelona teammate Samuel Umtiti.
“I’ve always joked ... that I wanted to face Umtiti at a World Cup,” Suarez said. “And it came true.”
Suarez’s running mate, Edinson Cavani, scored both goals in the knockout win over Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal but is nursing a hamstring injury, and it’s unclear whether he’ll play.
His absence would be a blow for the South Americans, though Uruguay’s defense likely will be the key against the speedy French team.
Led by 19-year-old Kylian Mbappe and Griezmann, France has scored seven goals in the tournament. By scoring twice against Argentina on Saturday, Mbappe became the first teenager with multiple goals in a World Cup knockout game since Pele, then 17, in 1958.
This is France’s seventh quarterfinal and its fourth in the past six World Cups dating to 1998.
“In a World Cup, you have the top-level players,” Mbappe said. “So it’s an opportunity to show what you can do and what your abilities are. There is no better place than a World Cup.”