Chinanews.com, Beijing, December 2. Question: Once dreamed of going to the end of the world with a sword, the "golden generation" of Belgian football only sighed
Reporter Wang Yu
The Belgian team with the "golden generation" once again fell on the way to the championship.
In the early morning of the 2nd Beijing time, in the final round of Group F of the Qatar World Cup, they drew 0:0 with the Russian World Cup runner-up Croatia. After three games, they won 1 draw and 1 loss. The top team with the first draw in the cup.
On December 1, Beijing time, in the third round of Group F of the Qatar World Cup group match, the Croatian team drew 0:0 with the Belgian team.
Before the start of the game, no one would have thought that the mighty Belgium team would fall in the group stage of the World Cup in Qatar.
Just like before their match against Morocco, no one thought that the "European Red Devils" would lose against an African team that had never lost in the World Cup.
But the facts have proved once again that anything is possible in the World Cup.
The Belgian fans in the stands couldn't hide their disappointment, unwilling to accept the fate of the home team being out again.
In the arena, the youths who used the 2014 World Cup in Brazil as a starting point to stir up the changes in European and even world football had to face the embarrassing ending of being blocked out of the semi-finals four times in the past five competitions.
The semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup were suppressed by the French team's extreme defense, and they were helpless; in the 2021 European Cup, they tried their best to face the young and tough Italian team, but it was difficult to break through; It is no longer enough to use "luck" as an excuse to only drink hatred and lose.
On November 27, Beijing time, in the second round of Group F of the Qatar World Cup group match, the Belgian team played against Morocco.
Sabiri and Abhalle, who came off the bench for the Morocco team, scored 1 goal each, and finally defeated the Belgian team 2-0.
The picture shows the players of the Belgian team after the game.
Eight years passed quickly, Lukaku continued to wreak havoc on the opponent's defense in the league, but fell into injury trouble; Hazard lost his main position after landing in Madrid; although De Bruyne is still regarded as the world's number one midfielder, Kurt Tuva still sits at the Bernabéu and reprimands Fang Qiu... When they stand side by side again, they meet disappointment with expectations again, and cannot escape the fate of reincarnation.
Eight years are not what it used to be. Looking back at the World Cup in Russia, Belgium won all three group matches and scored a total of 9 goals, and finally won the third place in the World Cup.
It was thought that creating the best team in team history would be their new starting point, but Lukaku, Hazard, and De Bruyne left their peak at the St. Petersburg Stadium four years ago.
Today, Hazard is 31 years old, De Bruyne is 31 years old, Courtois is 30 years old, Vertonghen is 35 years old, and Mertens is 35 years old. The former high-spirited youth may have completed the last dance of the World Cup in Qatar.
The expected future of Belgium's "golden generation" has not been fulfilled. Where is their future?
On November 27, Beijing time, in the second round of Group F of the Qatar World Cup group match, the Belgian team played against Morocco.
Sabiri and Abhalle, who came off the bench for the Morocco team, scored 1 goal each, and finally defeated the Belgian team 2-0.
The picture shows players from both sides hugging after the game.
Coach Martinez opened the prelude to farewell, "This is my last game as the head coach of the Belgian national team. Regardless of the final results of this cup, I have already made this decision. Even if Belgium finally becomes After winning the world championship, I will also reluctantly bid farewell to this team."
"World champion", Martinez's farewell words express the Belgian team's long-standing ambition, but it is also the other side that they have never been able to reach.
Some critics believe that Belgium's dismal results have something to do with his coaching style.
The problem of the locker room that has not been handled well, and the conservativeness in updating the lineup has made the team full of hidden dangers before the start of the game.
On the night of farewell, "Little Monster" Lukaku cried.
As the top scorer in team history, he has penetrated the opponent's goal 68 times for the team, allowing victory to come to them again and again.
But the 69th time was so difficult, and the ending was regrettable.
He came off the bench to carry the heavy burden of the team's offense, but also wasted four close-in goals.
On December 1, Beijing time, in the third round of Group F of the Qatar World Cup group match, the Croatian team drew 0:0 with the Belgian team.
Any time one of them crossed the line, it would be Modric and Croatia heading home.
After the game, Lukaku cried because of self-blame, and Henry took him into his arms and comforted him softly.
As a former top striker, how can he not understand the "hero" and "sinner", and only feel sad in a flash.
On the night of farewell, De Bruyne stood on the lawn expressionlessly.
Rumors of infighting once again hung over the team, this time he was the protagonist.
Hazard and Courtois' rumors at the press conference were slightly lacking in confidence.
De Bruyne, who has everything he wants in the Premier League, has never been able to lead a united team to set sail for victory.
Perhaps at the moment when the final whistle sounded, he, who had gone through thousands of sails, understood why the Belgian team, known as the "golden generation", fell again on the way to the championship.
The once smug and thought that the end point was infinitely close can only drift away with the passage of time.
On December 1, Beijing time, in the third round of Group F of the Qatar World Cup group match, the match between Croatia and Belgium officially started.
The picture shows the Belgian team player (second from left) shooting.
On the farewell night, the former core Hazard witnessed the team's struggle almost from the bench.
At the last moment, he was ordered in the face of danger. He has long lost the courage of the past, and the drama of "turning the tide" has not been staged. The star who was reduced to a marginal figure in the club still failed to feel the warmth he imagined when he returned to the national team.
Hazard should know better in his heart that this World Cup is the last chance for this generation of Belgian teams to compete for the honor of the competition.
He said in an interview with FIFA: "We haven't won anything. If we want to really deserve the title of 'Golden Generation', we need to win the World Cup."
From ambitious ambitions to unrewarding ambitions, all the expectations and efforts of Belgium's "golden generation" were blown away in the winter of Qatar this past night.
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