Thibaut Courtois has accused France of being an “anti-football team" following Belgium’s 1-0 World Cup semi-final loss to Les Bleus in Saint Petersburg on Tuesday.
Samuel Umtiti’s second-half header was the difference in a tightly-fought contest but one in which Belgium had the bulk of possession (64%) and France mainly looked to counter-attack. It proved an effective approach but one that has drawn criticism from Belgium’s goalkeeper Courtois as well as captain Eden Hazard.
“France heads a corner and does nothing more than defend," Courtois was quoted as saying by Sporza. “I would have preferred to have lost in the quarter-finals to Brazil, at least that was a team that wanted to play football. [France] are just an anti-football team."
Quoted by Het Nieuwsblad, Hazard said: “I prefer to lose with this Belgium than win with this France. But they do defend strongly and are very efficient. We have not found their weak point. That little moment of magic needed to score was not there."
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Odd comments from the two. Matuidi/Mbappe created probably the goal scoring chance of the match, which Giroud was unable to convert.
Belgium started well but then they just seemed to lose their heads. KdB couldn't pass the ball to a team mate, for all Hazard's excellent close control, he had no end product and Lukaku was a quiet figure up top with pretty much no service all night, bar KDB's one well executed pass.
Yes France were set up not to concede and catch them on the counter, but I wouldn't say they parked the bus as they went forward in numbers when they broke.
Sour grapes?
'Anti Football France'
posted on 11/7/18
Courtois whining as per usual, surprised he didn't fit in a comment about him playing for Madrid. I thought France played well and never looked in any real danger.
Im glad Belgium are out as to me they are a team with too many man-babies who rarely hack it when the going gets tough with the Japan result being a rare exception.
posted on 11/7/18
Bitter Belgians, they should be happy for their neighbours. They all practically speak the same language anyway.
Was so happy to see that moon head waaanker Martinez get knocked out, can’t stand him.
posted on 11/7/18
comment by Manc Python (U17527)
posted 57 minutes ago
comment by Nickasaurus (U9257)
posted 10 minutes ago
First half alone, Hazard drove two balls across goal, kdb done another 3 or more, and lukaku was nowhere near in the right position.
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Football is 90 mins long. Hazard was waaaank for half of it and was decent in first half. Granted lukaku was poor for the whole game but so were a few others. Hazard is a superb dribbler of the ball but his end product is not good enough for him to be at that elite level IMO
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What elite level? Player of the year level? Prem winner level? Fa cup winner level? World cup semi level? You have some weird fascination about hazard. Second half he was still good whenever he got on the ball and should have had a free kick on the edge of the box. Don't know what else you expect him to do, he had to keep dropping deeper and deeper
posted on 11/7/18
Didn't he criticise Pickford after the Belgium game?
Bloke is an idiot.
posted on 11/7/18
You have some weird fascination about hazard.
Could say the same about you with Pogba tbf, you’re always putting him down for some reason.
posted on 11/7/18
Most dribbles on the pitch lastnight. 96% passing accuracy. People said he went missing lastnight, but was the only one running and probing at france, had more touches than anyone on the french team.
It's the equivalent of saying mbappe disappeared for minutes on end.
posted on 11/7/18
comment by Pablo Emilio Escobar Gaviria (U11781)
posted 1 minute ago
You have some weird fascination about hazard.
Could say the same about you with Pogba tbf, you’re always putting him down for some reason.
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When? I said he was great lastnight. Why do people just lie on this site? something i've never got.
posted on 11/7/18
comment by sandy (U20567)
posted 2 hours, 22 minutes ago
To be fair he is not far wrong. France basically only played on the break, and barely mustered an attack second half, other than the goal, from a set piece. Very boring side.
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Very boring side who beat Argentina 4-3 in the game of the tournament...
posted on 11/7/18
Clearly they're both just making come and get me pleas.
posted on 11/7/18
comment by sandy (U20567)
posted 2 hours, 22 minutes ago
To be fair he is not far wrong. France basically only played on the break, and barely mustered an attack second half, other than the goal, from a set piece. Very boring side.
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They didn’t look great in the group stages but they’ve impressed more and more in the knockouts. All the criticism of Deschamps being negative and defensive looks a bit premature, they’ve timed their coming into form brilliantly. Mbappe is a joy to watch, what a player he’s going to be.