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Croatia v Belgium: World Cup 2022 – live

Key occasions

54 min: Two extra good saves from Courtois! It is a respectable recreation now. Brozovic curls a low shot from 20 yards that’s shovelled away by Courtois, plunging to his proper. Moments later he makes his third good save of the half, once more diving low to his proper to push away Modric’s left-footed shot.

51 min After good hold-up play from Lukaku, who seems sharp and up for it, De Bruyne shoots over from 20 yards together with his left foot.

50 min The nook is taken quick and half cleared to Sosa, who blisters a half volley over the bar from distance.

50 min: Good save from Courtois! They had been nearly two targets away. Gvardiol rumbled ahead and stabbed a cross to Kovacic simply inside the world. He took a contact and spanked a rising drive that was pawed over the bar by Courtois. A superb save, although one he’d count on to make.

50 min For all of the doom, gloom and ageism, Belgium are one purpose away from the final 16.

49 min De Bruyne stands up a deep cross that’s headed straight at Livakovic by Lukaku. To be trustworthy he did nicely simply to win the header.

Romelu Lukaku is making a distinction for Belgium already. {Photograph}: Albert Gea/Reuters

48 min De Bruyne makes simply one other area to place in a depraved cross from the proper. Gvardiol leaps to shin it behind for a nook, an necessary interception with Lukaku ready behind him.

46 min Peep peep! Belgium have made a half-time substitution: Romelu Lukaku replaces Dries Mertens.

“That is drek,” says Joe Pearson. “On this proof I don’t need both of those groups to progress.”

I don’t actually blame Croatia, as they solely want a draw, though they’ll remorse their passivity if Huge Rom scores a 114th-minute winner.

Half time: Croatia 0-0 Belgium

As issues stand, Belgium are going of the World Cup with a whimper. They created just one clear probability, missed by Dries Mertens, in a cold first half. Nonetheless, it might have been worse: Anthony Taylor award Croatia a penalty for a foul by Yannick Carrasco, solely to vary his thoughts after a VAR intervention.

Half-time studying

I imply, it’s in all probability preferable to teams of three, nevertheless it nonetheless reeks of avarice, fatigue and mismatches. 100 and 4 video games.

45+4 min Juranovic smashes a volley broad from the sting of the world, the final contact of the type of half that offers 0-0s a foul title.

45+2 min “Because the thoughts wanders through the first half, I obtained to pondering that while you see close-ups of Luka Modrić you get the sense that he’s essentially the most haggard-looking 16-year-old the world has ever seen,” says Charles Antaki. “Luis Enrique has the identical fleshless look, however appears a superb 50 years older, and in addition in some way a lot fitter. Oh and now a shot on, or a minimum of close to, purpose.”

Luka Modric in 2006 and 2022. Ageless. Sorry, aged. Composite: Getty

45 min 4 minutes of added time.

45 min On the different finish, Sosa has a pop from distance, and unwittingly homages his namesake.

44 min A stunning low cross from De Bruyne is nicely claimed by the diving Livakovic. That was crying out for somebody like Romelu Lukaku on the close to submit, however Mertens was barely on his heels.

43 min It’s Croatia 0-0 Belgium, and that’s the pictures on track.

42 min Higher from Belgium. Dendoncker beats a defender within the space, will get to the byline and cuts the ball again in direction of Mertens within the six-yard field. He can’t fairly there and the ball runs throughout the world to security.

41 min Canada have pulled one again in opposition to Morocco. In the event that they get 5 extra, Belgium will undergo.

41 min A reminder that the winner of this recreation will play Spain, Germany, Japan or Costa Rica. As issues stand it could be Spain however that’s solely irrelevant so I’m unsure why I posted it.

40 min A summary of the joy within the final 20 minutes:

Extra fascinating than the primary half. {Photograph}: jopstock/Getty Pictures

39 min “Poor Belgium really want a mate to inform them that flames in your garments don’t make you look cool,” says Josse McMahon.

You say that, however Japan managed it.

Japan’s loopy 90s designs

Do you know that the Japanese FA designed the nation workforce shirts within the 90s and never the producers? Watch to listen to the total story!

Tell us which you favor, the loopy sample shirt or the flames package? pic.twitter.com/VG6zSwLfru

— Traditional Soccer Shirts (@classicshirts) August 14, 2020

37 min I’m wondering how match Romelu Lukaku is. We’d see him at half-time, as a result of enjoying Leandro Trossard as a No9 hasn’t labored to this point.

Romelu Lukaku seems on from the bench as Belgium toil within the first half. {Photograph}: Michael Steele/Getty Pictures

37 min “Regardless of the consequence of this thrilling encounter, I’m delighted that Dries Mertens (a former Napoli participant who loved cult standing in Naples and a particular relationship with the followers, incomes the nickname Ciro) has been chosen forward of the mighty Eden Hazard,” says Colum Fordham. “On the age of 35, I believe we will safely say it’s Mertens’ final iteration on this event and he deserves his probability. A quick, quick-witted participant who turned Napoli’s high goalscorer (148), forward of 1 Diego Armando Maradona (115).”

36 min Belgium are having numerous the ball, however their passing has been so sluggish.

34 min “In equity to Croatia,” says Justin Kavanagh, “I’m positive all Liverpool followers will agree that it’s not usually Lovren is caught interfering with play.”

33 min Sosa’s deep cross is headed simply over by the backpedalling Livaja, an honest effort within the circumstances. He did nicely to loop it again throughout purpose however couldn’t drop it below the bar.

31 min That is actually uninteresting. I blame Dejan Lovren for being a micrometre offside.

29 min “Has anybody carried out the maths (as they are saying right here within the US of A) on the variety of caps on show right here?” says Chris Willimer. “Modric has 157, Vertinghon on 144, Alderweireld 126, Perisic 118. De Bruyne has 97, even Lovren has 74. Is that this essentially the most embellished match ever?”

Good query. I would nick that for subsequent week’s Information. I do know that each one seven Belgian gamers with 100 caps are of their squad, although Lukaku and Eden Hazard are on the bench.

27 min Modric’s nook is headed away by Witsel. The sport hasn’t obtained going in any respect since Anthony Taylor reversed his penalty determination.

25 min As issues stand Morocco will win the group, and possibly keep away from Spain within the second spherical. They might nicely have a 1986 rematch with Germany.

25 min “Guidelines are guidelines and all that, however in that transfer, primarily what occurred was one participant fouled one other within the space,” says Ant Ashworth. “Penalty. He gained no benefit from being that offside place, actually. All that is sucking a lot of the enjoyment out of soccer.”

Sure, there’s a concern that VAR has made us much more pedantic. I believe I most well-liked it while you needed to contact the ball, or invading the goalkeeper’s private area, to be offside.

24 min Morocco at the moment are 2-0 up in opposition to Canada. Which means this recreation is a combat to the dying. Belgium want a win, Croatia will undergo with a draw.

23 min That VAR delay has taken the warmth out of a recreation that was warming up properly.

21 min Anyway, as you had been. It was Lovren who was adjudged offside. Croatia would possibly argue that Vertonghen gained the header anyway, so Lovren didn’t affect the play. I can see each side!

It was additionally a spandex-tight offside, so I can perceive why Croatia are hacked off.



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