DOHA: Belgium’s squad held a meeting where players aired their “honest” views about how the team can salvage their World Cup campaign, goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois said Tuesday.
Belgium arrived in Qatar as the No. 2-ranked team and one of the tournament favorites, but were unconvincing in a 1-0 win over Canada before losing to Morocco 2-0 on Sunday.
The team need to beat Croatia in their final group game on Thursday to guarantee advancing to the last 16.
Courtois and Belgium captain Eden Hazard played down reports of infighting in the squad that surfaced after the Morocco game.
Courtois did say, however, he and his teammates had a frank exchange of views at their training base in Al Rayyan on Monday.
“I did not feel like there were issues, but it is always good to have a meeting all together so everybody can share their thoughts,” the Real Madrid goalkeeper said Tuesday.
“This way, everything is sorted and I think that the best thing we can do is to be honest, because on the pitch we have to fight for each other. So being honest is the most important thing.”
There has been plenty of focus on a seemingly off-the-cuff comment by Kevin De Bruyne, the star of the team, in a pre-tournament interview with British newspaper The Guardian.
In it, De Bruyne was asked if Belgium can win the World Cup and he was quoted as saying: “No chance, we’re too old.” Against Canada, Belgium had six players in their 30s in the starting lineup, with four of them having accrued more than 100 international appearances.
One of them is Jan Vertonghen, who appeared to make a reference to De Bruyne’s remark when speaking after the loss to Morocco.
“Where did it go wrong?” Vertonghen said. “We probably also attack badly because we are too old, that must be it now, surely?”
Hazard said he had spoken to De Bruyne and that his long-time teammate “believes in us more than ever.”
“Sometimes in an interview, you say funny things you don’t really mean,” Hazard said. “I think he just wanted to say that we are older than four years ago. And he is right, we are older.
“Everybody is older. The defenders. Us, the midfielders. Thibaut is older than four years ago, it is what it is. I think Kevin is the first to have confidence in this group, otherwise he would not be here.”
Hazard urged his team to play with “no fear” against Croatia, the 2018 World Cup runner-up.
“In two days, it could be our last game, so we have to play with desire to win,” he said. “If we go together on the pitch, 11 players, we can beat Croatia. I know it is going to be difficult, because every game in this World Cup is difficult, but we can do it. With the team we have, we can do it.”
Belgium hold players’ meeting after poor start to World Cup
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Belgium hold players’ meeting after poor start to World Cup
- Belgium arrived in Qatar as the No. 2-ranked team and one of the tournament favorites
- The team need to beat Croatia in their final group game on Thursday to guarantee advancing to the last 16
T20 World Cup: England rout Sri Lanka for 95 to win Super Eights opener
- England were asked to bat first, scored what looked like below-par 146-9
- Archer, Will Jacks took five wickets to leave Sri Lanka top order in tatters
KANDY: England routed Sri Lanka for 95 to give captain Harry Brook a perfect birthday present as they opened the T20 World Cup Super Eights phase with a resounding 51-run win in Kandy on Sunday.
After England were asked to bat first and scored what looked like a below-par 146-9, Jofra Archer and Will Jacks took five wickets during the six-over power play to leave Sri Lanka’s top order in tatters at 34-5.
“That’s a beautiful birthday present,” said Brook, who turned 27 on Sunday.
“I thought we played exceptionally there. To get over the line and bowl them out for less than 100 is an awesome effort.
“I didn’t think there were really any demons on the pitch. I think the spinners on both sides used the pace really well, and that’s what brought a lot of wickets.”
It was England’s 12th win in a row against Sri Lanka and on a pitch that was sticky and slow after rain all week in Kandy.
The margin of victory gives them a healthy net run rate advantage in a Super Eights group that could be further affected by weather, after the New Zealand-Pakistan match was washed out on Saturday in Colombo.
“We’re buzzing with that,” said Jacks who was named player of the match for the third time in five matches in the tournament.
“At the halfway stage, we were pleased to get up to 146, but obviously we knew we were going to have to bowl well and work hard.”
The searing pace of Jofra Archer accounted for both openers, including the in-form Pathum Nissanka (9), who had scored a century and 62 in his last two knocks but failed to clear Jamie Overton at deep mid-wicket.
Archer finished with 2-20 and Jacks 3-22, the latter accounting for Kusal Mendis (4) and Pavan Rathnayake (0) in consecutive balls.
Dunith Wellalage staved off the hat-trick but lasted only 10 balls before also falling to Jacks, for 10.
LONE BATTLE
Dasun Shanaka fought a lone battle scoring 30 off 24 balls before falling to Adil Rashid.
The Sri Lanka captain took on the leg-spinner but Jacks took the catch and tossed the ball to Tom Banton before stepping over the boundary.
“It’s one bad game which is not affordable in a World Cup,” said Shanaka.
“But we need to bounce back in the next couple of games.”
Sri Lanka earlier restricted England to 146-9 with left-arm spinner Wellalage taking 3-26.
Phil Salt scored 62 at the top of the order but Sri Lanka, who are missing three of their frontline bowlers, contained the rest of the England batting line-up with regular wickets.
Wellalage was introduced during the power play and trapped the out-of-form Jos Buttler (7) and Brook (14), both lbw, as England limped to 68-4 at the halfway mark.
Salt was caught in the deep off Wellalage after facing 40 deliveries with six fours and two sixes.
Jacks, with 21, was the only other England batsman to score more than 20.
“Jacksie was pretty annoyed with the way he got out,” said Brook, who then explained why the new ball was tossed to the off-spinner.
“He said to me he always bowls better when he’s angry, and thankfully he got off to a cracking start.”
Left-arm seamer Dilshan Madushanka took 2-25 while Maheesh Theekshana took 2-21 with his offspin.
