 |
| Population: |
10,300,000 |
| Area: |
30,510 km² |
| Capital: |
Brussels |
| Language: |
Flemish, French, German |
|
THE
ROAD TO KOREA/JAPAN
|
| Belgium came runners-up to Croatia in the UEFA
group 6 and needed a play-off against the Czech Republic to qualify. |
|
Click
here for details
|
|
WORLD
CUP HISTORY
|
| Participations: (10) 1930, 1934,
1938, 1954, 1970, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1994 and 1998 |
| Best placing: Fourth place 1986 |
| Topscorer: Jan Ceulemans,
4 goals |
|
More
detailed history information
|
|
ONE
TO WATCH
|
|
| Emile Mpenza is a speedy, but inconsistent forward
with great finishing abilities. Belgium is not loaded with great attacking talent and the team's
future in the World Cup depends very much on this man's form in front of goal. |
|
WCA
VERDICT: First round exit
|
| This team failed to reach the knock-out
stages at Euro 2000 when they were co-hosts and even though this group is easier on paper,
we think Belgium will go home after three games. |
|
GRANDPA SHOWS THE WAY
by Ruud Doevendans
Belgian coach Waseige is a veteran, a quiet man, and like a friendly
grandfather to his players. He is a bit like the very successful Guy Thijs
in the 80’s. Belgian players seem to fare well with these kind of coaches.
Waseige has proven to be able to get the best out of them. This Belgian
squad isn’t the most talented they ever had, not to say that it’s an average
team. But they advanced at the cost of the very talented Czech Republic, and
that’s an achievement in itself. Twice 1-0, and that tells the story. This
is a balanced team that is hard to beat. But they won’t put on the show on
any team.
Belgium had a reputation for great goalies, but not this time. No Piot, no
Pfaff and Preud’homme there, they will have to do with Geert De Vlieger. He
plays for Willem II Tilburg in the Dutch league, but has to be considered as
one of the least talented in the tournament. Their defence is steady, with
hard working Eric Deflandre at right back. Deflandre has a speciality in
clearing shots on the line, and gets forward whenever he can. At left Nico
Van Kerckhoven will get the nod. The Schalke-man is a midfielder by trade,
so there is something to expect from his as well regarding the offense. At
libero, Erik Van Meir has taken over from Lorenzo Staelens. Normally Van
Meir also has qualities in attack, but in a World Cup I wouldn’t expect him
to go past the midfield line. This is still the Belgian team, no gamblers,
no daredevils. Then they still need a manmarker and this is an open place.
If Joos Valgaeren, a Celtic man, recovers in time from his hernia surgery he
may be the man, but Philippe Clement and Daniel Van Buyten are not without a
chance.
In defensive midfield, I thought Belgium had a fine player in Yves
Vanderhaeghe, but he seems to be overhauled by young and emerging Tim
Simons. It surprised me, but Simons did well during these matches with the
Czechs. Alongside him, Walter Baseggio is a good player with a decent shot
from distance. Strengths are the outsides of the midfield with experienced
players like Gert Verheyen, who can also play in attack. Verheyen captained
the side during the play-offs and he did well. Scoring the goal in the home
match, as well as winning the penalty in Prague made him a dominant figure.
He is certain of his place. At left, Bart Goor hasn’t been playing too much
at his club Hertha BSC but must still be considered as a favourite to win
his place. Surprisingly, another candidate is yet again veteran Danny
Boffin, a kind of motorcycle going up and down the field, who has never let
down the Belgian team.
Don’t be surprised to see Belgium play with just one man up front, and that
man could be Emile Mpenza from Schalke ’04. It’s true that young Wesley
Sonck, recently hailed as Belgium’s player of the year, is a possibility
there, but Mpenza seems to be the man, and he can be supported by Marc
Wilmots, who is Belgium’s most experienced player. Wilmots is the kind of
player every coach would love to have in his team, hard working and always
capable of scoring the important goal. As a substitute, he killed off the
last Czech hopes by converting a late penalty-kick in Prague, in the return
of the play-offs.
Belgium play Japan, Tunisia and Russia in a group that will be one of the
closest in this World Cup. They will not concede many goals, but scoring
themselves is a big problem. They will most likely do relatively well
against better sides, but struggle to make the play against a team like
Tunisia. It’s not easy to say whether Belgium is going to advance to the
second round, but if they do, I think the last 16 will be the end for them.
It won’t harm them, in Belgium people are not asking so much of their team.
They know what their place is.
A BRIEF WORLD CUP HISTORY
by Jan Alsos
Belgium has participated in ten World Cups and was one of only
four European nations who bothered to make the long journey to Uruguay by ship for the
very first World Cup in 1930. Their profit was meagre as they travelled home empty handed
having failed to score a goal and lost both their games in the opening round. Belgium also
took part in the two European based World Cups in Italy and France before World War II
and lost in the opening round on both occasions.
Belgium did not go to Brazil 1950, but gained their first ever World Cup point in a remarkable
4-4 draw with England in Switzerland four years later. That result was not enough to take
them through and it took sixteen years before they qualified again. The 1970 World Cup in
Mexico saw Belgium capture their first World Cup win - forty years after their debut -
against minnows El Salvador, but hosts Mexico and the Soviet Union proved to be too strong
and edged out the Belgians.
Further twelve years went by before Belgium again could grace football’s greatest stage and
this time cause an upset by beating defending champions Argentina with Maradona 1-0 in
Barcelona on the tournament’s opening day. That win helped them gather enough points to
advance from the first round group, but they could do little against Poland and Boniek who
put an end to further glory in the second phase. On the positive side, the bad run of five
straight first round exits was broken.
The 1986 World Cup is the highlight of Belgian football history. The team went all the way to
the semifinals stopped only be Argentina. Profiles like Ceulemans, Scifo, Claesen and
colourful goalkeeper Pfaff carried the team through the rounds in breathtaking encounters
against the Soviet Union and Spain.
Belgium couldn’t quite live up to the 1986 standards in Italy four years later much because of
less luck in decisive moments. The team achieved solid wins over South Korea and Uruguay,
but England’s David Platt ended the Belgian dream when the clock showed 119 minutes
played in the second round with a perfect volley. Second round was again the limit in 1994
when Germany proved to be too powerful, but the highlight of that tournament was the win
over neighbours Holland. In France 1998, the two neighours met again and this time the result
was a goalless draw which gave Belgium a nice start, but two more draws followed against
Mexico and South Korea which wasn’t enough to progress for a fifth consecutive time
because Mexico equalized against Holland deep into injurytime in the very last game.
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