BY DAMOLA EMMANUEL
Brazil, the second best footballing nation in the world, and favourites of the gods of socer, are out of the World Cup.
They were stung 2-1, Friday, by a superbly determined Belgium side who needed only 31 minutes to bundle the South American football wizards out of the ongoing World Cup in Russia.
The quarter final encounter was one football explosion that left devotees of the two teams in the near capacity Kazan Arena, Russian, and around the world, breathless and sitting at the edge of their seats for most of the second half.
Most football buffs, including Nigeria’s legend, Austin Jay Jay Okocha, an analyst with Super Sports in South Africa, had predicted victory for the Brazilians. But the gods of soccer decided otherwise, giving the match to Belgium, who sealed Brazil’s hope of winning a sixth title with two emphatic goals.
Belgium, ranked third by the world football-governing body, FIFA, will now confront France in the semi-final, next Tuesday.
With Brazil’s exit, the tournament has become an all-European affair because, earlier on Friday, France had knocked out Uruguay in the first quarter final game.
The Les Bleus blasted their way 2-0 past a flat-footed Uruguay side in the first quarter-final game.
Belgium opened scoring in the 13th minute when Fernandinho scored an own goal after elbowing the ball inside the net off a breezy header by Kompany, also off a corner kick. Kevin De Bruyne made it two in the 31st minute when he blasted in a text-book blinder, from 20 yards, to the far right of the goal post, way out of the reach of the Brazilian goalkeeper.
It was a match in which the Tite’s men clearly missed the services of the suspended Casemiro.
Although he never scored in the game, Romelu Lukaku was a great inspiration to the Belgian side as he unleashed his skill and strength to galvanise the Red Devils attack, tearing deep into the Brazilian area most of the time.
Brazil played all the tricks in the books but found the Belgian defence almost impregnable. But in the 76th minute, the Samba men got a breather through a header by Renato Augusto. All attempts by Neymar and Marcello to even scores were frustrated by the resolute Belgian defence.
A frustrated Neymar made three feeble attempts, falling within the box, to win a penalty but Referee Milorad Mazic didn’t look his way.
On the dot of 95 minutes, time stopped for Brazil in the Russia 2018 World Cup. They bowed out of the tournament and would bid Russia bye on Saturday. But they surely live to fight another day.
