OF HEARTS AND HEROES: BELGIUM OUSTS FAVORITE BRAZIL, SEALS DUEL WITH FRANCE
KAZAN, RUSSIA— Belgium coach Roberto Martinez said his side “deserve to be heroes” back home after downing five-time champions Brazil on Friday to set up a World Cup semifinal clash against France.
The Red Devils tore Brazil apart on the counterattack in the first half, before hanging on in the second to close out a famous 2-1 victory.
“They did incredible. There were amazing hearts out there. I didn’t think for one minute their hearts would give way,” said Martinez. “You have to accept that Brazil have so much quality and finesse, they break you down, but we did not accept it. Not for one minute were they (Belgium) going to give up.
“These boys deserve to be heroes in Belgium. The execution of the tactics was magnificent. It is special and we can’t let the people of Belgium down. We can pass that down the generations—beating Brazil.”
Belgium will next face France in Saint Petersburg on Tuesday as they look to reach the Final for the first time in their history.
The current team has been tagged the ‘golden generation’ in recent years, but had lost their last two major quarterfinals against Argentina four years ago and Wales at Euro 2016.
Martinez’s men put that to bed in style in Kazan, though, matching Belgium’s previous best World Cup run when they reached the last four in 1986.
“I know it’s not easy to play against Brazil,” midfielder Kevin De Bruyne, who scored the second goal after an own goal by Fernandinho, told the BBC.
“But we were magnificent first half and they changed tactics second half. We showed our character after they scored. We did very well with our running from deep, it is wonderful.
“We are here to try and win the World Cup and are very united.”
In Nizhny Novgorod, Antoine Griezmann also scored the second goal in France’s 2-0 dismissal of Uruguay, but his celebration was a bit muted out of “respect” for the South Ameri- can nation.
Griezmann scored in the 61st minute, when his longrange strike found its way into the net after a mistake from Uruguay’s goalkeeper Fernando Muslera.
Instead of celebrating, Griezmann stood still as French players rushed to him, despite scoring the goal that helped secure his country’s first World Cup semifinal in 12 years.
“I didn’t celebrate that goal because when I started as a professional footballer I was supported by a Uruguayan, who showed me the good and the bad of football,” he said.
“Out of respect, I thought it was not appropriate to celebrate that goal.”
In the runup to the match, Griezmann had spoken about his affinity with Uruguay and his friendship with two Uruguayan players, Jose Gimenez and Diego Godin.
Griezmann plays his club football with Gimenez and Godin at Atletico Madrid.
Coming into the match, Martinez acknowledged the gulf in World Cup pedigree between his side, who have never been further than the semifinals, and their illustrious rivals.
But after a bright start from Tite’s team, it was Belgium who looked the more dangerous, scoring through a Fernandinho own goal in the 13th minute and increasing their lead with a superb De Bruyne strike just after the half hour.
Tite threw on Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino for Willian at halftime and the famous yellow shirts poured forward in increasing desperation, only to find an impenetrable wall at the back.
“It’s a heavy, bitter feeling. This was very hard for us to swallow,” said Tite.