THE END OF THE AMERICAS
Brazil bows out to Belgium, ensuring the 2018 World Cup will find a home in Europe
It was too much to bear for Neymar at times, as Brazil fell 2-1 to Belgium in the final eight Friday, leaving nothing but European teams in the World Cup. Another South American team, Uruguay, was on the wrong end of a 2-0 decision with France earlier in the day. Stories,
KAZAN, RUSSIA — 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.
“This was the biggest test for us,” De Bruyne said. “Brazil was so strong in attack.”
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 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. The other two quarterfinal matches will be played Saturday.
Humiliated 7-1 by Germany in the semifinals fours year ago on home soil, Brazil didn’t even get that far this time. Just like defending champion Germany and Argentina before them, the Kazan Arena is where Brazil’s World Cup challenge ended.
Belgium is now on a 24-match unbeaten streak.
There is guaranteed to be a fourth straight European team winning the World Cup on July 15 in Moscow. Belgium, which finished fourth at the1986 tournament and has never won the European Championship, will hope its golden generation can deliver its first trophy.
With eight shutouts in the last nine games, including three in the four games in Russia, Brazil had the tightest defence of the remaining teams at the World Cup. But it was breached after 13 minutes in Tatarstan.
Fernandinho’s own-goal ensured for the first time since March 2017 that Brazil was trailing in a competitive match. Unlike then — an eventual 4-1 victory over Uruguay — there was no comeback.
ROB HARRIS THE ASSOCIATED PRESS