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+---- Thread: Belgium 3 Japan 2 - Hazard and co 'come of age'! (/showthread.php?tid=7114)
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Belgium 3 Japan 2 - Hazard and co 'come of age'! - 0762 - 02-07-2018
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/live/football/43976549
What a great game with Japan absolutely terrific and a tad unlucky to lose. I was thinking Martinez was tactically inept as his 4-3-3 formation was clearly a wrong move with de Bruyne not effective enough and being outgunned by more Japanese players in midfield in a more fluid system deployed by the Japanese manager. Time to change it Martinez and bring on the 'wrecker', Fellaini, and make it 'physical' plus release de Bruyne and 'let him play'!? He finally did it on about 65 mins and what a transformation and last secs winning goal with de Bruyne the architect of that dramatic match winner. A wonderful match to watch and a 'special mention' to 11 Japanese heroes who played great footie and never 'gave it up'!
RE: Belgium 3 Japan 2 - Hazard and co 'come of age'! - Lord Snooty - 02-07-2018
Yep, one of the best games of the tournament and the first time a team has overturned a 0-2 to win since West Germany beat England in 1970. (You missed that one, 0762
)The breakaway goal to win it was a magnificent move but really unlucky for the plucky Japs. Did they commit too many forward? Were they slap happy Jappies?
RE: Belgium 3 Japan 2 - Hazard and co 'come of age'! - 0762 - 03-07-2018
Re that similar Germany result v England in 1970 LS, I can vividly recall driving near Littlehampton in the summer of 1970 with my car radio broadcasting a live commentary of this match and suddenly Frans Beckenbauer made it 2-1, England still ahead. I immediately pulled in to a beach siding intently listening to this match because it was clear that Germany were in the process of overhauling Bobby Moore, Charlton et al - an up n coming great German side at work. I was right and that great old striker, Uwe Seeler, scored the equaliser and another younger great, predatory pen box striker, Gerd Mueller, finished them off in ET with a fantastic, acrobatic kick to beat Gordon Banks. This was indeed another great match at a pt when one could 'sense' the 'tide was turning' after Beckenbauer scored that 1st goal! I didn't realise that was the last time re such a result occurring! Always remembered.
RE: Belgium 3 Japan 2 - Hazard and co 'come of age'! - Lord Snooty - 03-07-2018
Not Gordon Banks. He missed the game due to food poisoning. Peter Bonetti was in goal.
RE: Belgium 3 Japan 2 - Hazard and co 'come of age'! - hibeejim21 - 03-07-2018
gerd muller - what a xxxx player he was. And the origin of the phrase 'mullered' down to his superhuman levels of beer consumption.
RE: Belgium 3 Japan 2 - Hazard and co 'come of age'! - themaclad - 03-07-2018
After the game the Japanese left their dressing room spotless and left a thank you note in Russian and that is class
RE: Belgium 3 Japan 2 - Hazard and co 'come of age'! - 0762 - 03-07-2018
(03-07-2018, 08:09)Lord Snooty Wrote: Not Gordon Banks. He missed the game due to food poisoning. Peter Bonetti was in goal.
Right enough LS! That 3-2 comeback result was more vividly remembered than the goalie at the receiving end of those German goals lol! It was certainly one of the factors that eventually ended Sir Alf Ramsay's time as England manager.
RE: Belgium 3 Japan 2 - Hazard and co 'come of age'! - themaclad - 03-07-2018
Weren't we two down to Cameroon in Italy 1990?
RE: Belgium 3 Japan 2 - Hazard and co 'come of age'! - Devongone - 03-07-2018
Any system can be fluid if you make it so. It seemed to me the Japanese played simple 4-4-2 in which every man knew his own job and that of his mates, but because they are all natural high-energy players a lovely fluidity developed in their play. They worked for each other and maintained their shape until near the end. Unfortunately encouraged by his own excellent long-range free-kick Honda gave the game away with his corner.The one thing to avoid was letting the keeper catch it ........ okay Lukaku's dummy was lovely and De Bruyne's timing was superb, but Honda was worth an assist.
I like Martinez. I think he's a class bloke but if he plays either Carrasco or his replacement Chadli in THAT position he can pencil Brazil 3 into his scorebook now. Making the required substitution is good, but being out-thought for 65 minutes by a man in his second month of management isn't great.
For all the importance tactically of releasing De Bruyne wasn't the old-fashioned tactic of getting Fellaini on and hitting in a few high balls the real game-changer? Japan's keeper couldn't quite handle it. We Westeners expect Japanese faces to be inscrutable, but I've never seen anyone look more on the verge of panic than their keeper. Under a high ball many of the Japanese players were giving away several inches, which for a keeper means he has to decide - do I come out and take responsibility and what happens if I fcku up?
RE: Belgium 3 Japan 2 - Hazard and co 'come of age'! - Lord Snooty - 03-07-2018
(03-07-2018, 12:14)themaclad Wrote: Weren't we two down to Cameroon in Italy 1990?
Fairly sure we scored first in that before going 1-2 down.