30: Belgium 3-Patagonia 0
A Belgian super-tanker has just passed the Cape Horn (Belgium 3-0 Patagonia). The approach was certainly complicated, the ship having to retry its maneuver many times but once the right course was found, nothing could stop it and it passed the southern country from east to west as if he were alone on the water. And for lovers of maritime navigation, we tell you all about the act of Belgian piracy on the valiant Patagonians in this honest summary, once!
YOU HAVE MISSED THE MATCH? DO NOT PANIC !
We're playing in the 18th minute when Patagonia's central defender Andreas Vestergaard clears his head as best he can while wrestling with Kevin Mirallas. Like any football player, he has always been told that the ball should never be thrown back in the center. He therefore releases the swell on the right side of the penalty area and then thinks of giving air to his team. But what the New York Red Bulls player doesn't know is that this ball will fall on an inspired Dries Mertens. The Parthenopean takes the ball with a fantastic volley and finally manages to break the Patagonian lock.
Belgium have just opened the scoring after having spent the beginning of the match besieging the Patagonian goal and looking for the solution, but the attackers of the flat country butted on an imperial Oliver Sortfjeld and on a very well grouped defense, honoring the historical importance of this match for Patagonia since it is the very first World Cup in its history.
The splendid goal of Dries Mertens has the merit of uninhibiting the Belgians who felt mounting pressure in the face of their consecutive offensive failures.
Despite a very good opportunity for Peter Madsen who stumbles on a vigilant Thibaut Courtois a few minutes after the opening of the score, it is the men of Michel Preud’homme who take the lead. And this is felt when Kevin Mirallas offers a soloist number in the middle of the opposing penalty area before retreating to a lonely Nacer Chadli 25 meters from the goal. The Anderlecht player hooks his first vis-à-vis before succeeding in a lovely cross from the outside of the foot which finds the head of Sam Lammers who propels the ball into the small opposite net (72nd).
That's it, Belgium has made the break and can start playing in a much more relaxed way, especially that just before the end of the match, the coup de grace falls for Patagonia. Perfectly launched on the limit of offside by Kevin Mirallas, Sam Lammers finds himself face to face with Oliver Sortfield and throws his ball over the beaten goalkeeper.
3-0, Belgium fulfilled its contract by offering itself a beautiful victory while treating goal difference to put pressure on China. A very nice meeting for the Belgians and a cruel but still successful match for Patagonia who will have fought very well but who will have lost to experience and individual quality.
United Belgian provinces 3-0 Kingdom of Patagonia
(Mertens 18’, Lammers 72’, 90’)
MATCH NOTE (66/100):
General show (13/20): This match could only be a beautiful spectacle from the moment there are occasions. And it did. Too bad the technique was not always on top.
Opportunities and goals (15/20): Just for the quality of the three Belgian goals, the score could only be good. The nugget of Dries Mertens on the opening of the score, the collective action on the second or the composure of Lammers on the last are perfect achievements. As for the occasions, Patagonia had a few frank ones and if Belgium had had another goalkeeper, perhaps even they could have saved the honor while the attackers of the flat country have missed a lot.
Technical quality (13/20): When technicians like Kevin Mirallas, Dries Mertens or Yannick Carrasco are on a football field, the quality of play immediately takes on a higher dimension. Today again, the artists were in. Unfortunately for them, Belgium's difficulties in scoring combined with the technical wanderings of the Patagonians prevent us from putting a higher mark.
Scenario and suspense (11/20): Let's be honest, without wanting to disrespect the valiant Patagonians, the scenario of the match was all drawn and the suspense only lasted one period. Enough to have fun certainly but not enough to disrupt the scenario that everyone had imagined with a good old 3-0 in the end. Nice match but not original will tell us.
Bonus / Malus of the jury (14/20): For this category, we explain to you, we start from 10/20 at each kick-off and we inflate or lower the score according to our own subjective criteria (we are the jury, we do what we want).
+2 for Dries Mertens' fantastic volley to open the score.
+1 for the assist passed from the outside of Nacer Chadli’s foot on the second Belgian goal
+2 for the very good performance of the Patagonians who held a full half before breaking down and who continued to try even at 0-3.
- 1 for the lack of efficiency of Belgium in the first period. Faced with a team like Patagonia, this has no consequence on the final result, but they cannot pretend to the final victory if they’re missing so many occasions.
THE POP CULTURE MOMENT
If the Panama team was a film, it would be ... Cool Runnings! For their first participation, nobody knows what the team is worth, some people laugh a little and then finally the team by its admirable behavior inspires respect. In the end, they do not win, but the hearts are charmed.
3 GIFS THAT SUMMARIZE THE MATCH
The performance of the Patagonian goalkeeper reassures everyone! Finally ... except the Belgians
Dries Mertens after his magnificent goal
Sam Lemmens at the end of the match
YOU HAVE MISSED THE MATCH? DO NOT PANIC !
We're playing in the 18th minute when Patagonia's central defender Andreas Vestergaard clears his head as best he can while wrestling with Kevin Mirallas. Like any football player, he has always been told that the ball should never be thrown back in the center. He therefore releases the swell on the right side of the penalty area and then thinks of giving air to his team. But what the New York Red Bulls player doesn't know is that this ball will fall on an inspired Dries Mertens. The Parthenopean takes the ball with a fantastic volley and finally manages to break the Patagonian lock.
Belgium have just opened the scoring after having spent the beginning of the match besieging the Patagonian goal and looking for the solution, but the attackers of the flat country butted on an imperial Oliver Sortfjeld and on a very well grouped defense, honoring the historical importance of this match for Patagonia since it is the very first World Cup in its history.
The splendid goal of Dries Mertens has the merit of uninhibiting the Belgians who felt mounting pressure in the face of their consecutive offensive failures.
Despite a very good opportunity for Peter Madsen who stumbles on a vigilant Thibaut Courtois a few minutes after the opening of the score, it is the men of Michel Preud’homme who take the lead. And this is felt when Kevin Mirallas offers a soloist number in the middle of the opposing penalty area before retreating to a lonely Nacer Chadli 25 meters from the goal. The Anderlecht player hooks his first vis-à-vis before succeeding in a lovely cross from the outside of the foot which finds the head of Sam Lammers who propels the ball into the small opposite net (72nd).
That's it, Belgium has made the break and can start playing in a much more relaxed way, especially that just before the end of the match, the coup de grace falls for Patagonia. Perfectly launched on the limit of offside by Kevin Mirallas, Sam Lammers finds himself face to face with Oliver Sortfield and throws his ball over the beaten goalkeeper.
3-0, Belgium fulfilled its contract by offering itself a beautiful victory while treating goal difference to put pressure on China. A very nice meeting for the Belgians and a cruel but still successful match for Patagonia who will have fought very well but who will have lost to experience and individual quality.
United Belgian provinces 3-0 Kingdom of Patagonia
(Mertens 18’, Lammers 72’, 90’)
MATCH NOTE (66/100):
General show (13/20): This match could only be a beautiful spectacle from the moment there are occasions. And it did. Too bad the technique was not always on top.
Opportunities and goals (15/20): Just for the quality of the three Belgian goals, the score could only be good. The nugget of Dries Mertens on the opening of the score, the collective action on the second or the composure of Lammers on the last are perfect achievements. As for the occasions, Patagonia had a few frank ones and if Belgium had had another goalkeeper, perhaps even they could have saved the honor while the attackers of the flat country have missed a lot.
Technical quality (13/20): When technicians like Kevin Mirallas, Dries Mertens or Yannick Carrasco are on a football field, the quality of play immediately takes on a higher dimension. Today again, the artists were in. Unfortunately for them, Belgium's difficulties in scoring combined with the technical wanderings of the Patagonians prevent us from putting a higher mark.
Scenario and suspense (11/20): Let's be honest, without wanting to disrespect the valiant Patagonians, the scenario of the match was all drawn and the suspense only lasted one period. Enough to have fun certainly but not enough to disrupt the scenario that everyone had imagined with a good old 3-0 in the end. Nice match but not original will tell us.
Bonus / Malus of the jury (14/20): For this category, we explain to you, we start from 10/20 at each kick-off and we inflate or lower the score according to our own subjective criteria (we are the jury, we do what we want).
+2 for Dries Mertens' fantastic volley to open the score.
+1 for the assist passed from the outside of Nacer Chadli’s foot on the second Belgian goal
+2 for the very good performance of the Patagonians who held a full half before breaking down and who continued to try even at 0-3.
- 1 for the lack of efficiency of Belgium in the first period. Faced with a team like Patagonia, this has no consequence on the final result, but they cannot pretend to the final victory if they’re missing so many occasions.
THE POP CULTURE MOMENT
If the Panama team was a film, it would be ... Cool Runnings! For their first participation, nobody knows what the team is worth, some people laugh a little and then finally the team by its admirable behavior inspires respect. In the end, they do not win, but the hearts are charmed.
3 GIFS THAT SUMMARIZE THE MATCH
The performance of the Patagonian goalkeeper reassures everyone! Finally ... except the Belgians
Dries Mertens after his magnificent goal
Sam Lemmens at the end of the match
