Brazil could not find an equaliser in the second half. (Source: REUTERS)
Belgium ended Brazil’s dream of a sixth World Cup title when they beat the South Americans 2-1 in a dramatic, enthralling end-to-end quarter-final on Friday to earn a semi-final tie against France. Brazil dominated the opening stages, with Thiago Silva hitting the post, but went behind when midfielder Fernandinho put the ball into his own net from a corner in the 13th minute. Kevin De Bruyne scored the second and Brazil were trailing 2-0 at half-time. Renato Augusto scored in the second half as Brazil hounded Belgium. But that turned out to be the only goal of the match for them and it ended 2-1 in favour of Belgium. Sweden vs England Live Score, Updates
FT
Brazil
1
76’ Renato Augusto
76’ Renato Augusto2
Belgium
- 13’ Fernandinho
- 31’ Kevin De Bruyne
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Brazil vs Belgium Live Score: Brazil take on Belgium in the first World Cup quarterfinal. (Source: Reuters)
The Belgians run into each other's arms, Brazil collapse. According to Opta, this is the third time in the last four World Cups that they have been knocked out by European opposition in the World Cup. Belgium record just their second win against Belgium, their first since 1963 and their first ever win in the World Cup against the five-time champion. The first semi-final will be played on July 10 between France and Belgium. That won't be a very interesting fixture now, would it?
The Canaries are out, Coutinho is out, Marcelo is out, Neymar is out, Brazil are out and with that ends the South American challenge in Russia. We will be having an all European semi-finals.
Douglas Costa does well to get past two Belgian defenders on the right, he passes it to Neymar who takes a shot from the D, it is just about saved by Courtois.
Fagner with the ball into the box from the right and Neymar tries to get at the end of it. He can't reach it with his header and then goes down claiming a penalty. VAR checks, Meunier seems to have a hand on Neymar's face but there is no push at all, goal kick given.
Five minutes added on. Brazil are almost the only team on the ball but they are not able to make that final pass. Douglas Costa does well to drive forward but he gives the ball away with a lose pass.
Neymar with a brilliant turn in the box and it looks he is making space for a shot but he only runs the ball out for a goal kick.
Neymar in all sorts of space and he charges down the left, cuts inside and provides a pass into a hole that has developed in the box, Coutinho comes in but his shot is off target. Head-in-hands moment for Brazil.
Coutinho with a pass to Renato Augusto down the middle, he is in space and takes the shot from distance. It is woefully off target.
Hazard tries to free De Bruyne after Belgium break from an unsuccesfull Brazilian corner, it is intercepted by Douglas Costa.
Neymar runs into the box, cuts inside and tries playing a one-two with Firmino but Belgium somehow defend the danger. Brazil are absolutely buzzing now.
Lifeline for Brazil provided by the substitute. Coutinho with THE perfect ball from the left and Augusto runs to the far side and nicks it in to the goal with the header.
Firmino and Marcelo try to play one-two but the former gives the ball away cheaply and Belgium counter. That fizzles out when De Bruyne's intended through ball for Lukaku runs out for a goal kick.
Douglas Costa cannot get at the end of a Coutinho pass and the ball runs out of play. Belgium then hold on to possession for some time as we start approaching the final half hour of the match.
Costa with a stinging shot from the right at the near post, Courtois saves and it almost falls straight for Coutinho, but not quite.
Chadli intercepts a poor pass from Fernandinho in the Belgian third and manages to hold him off when the Manchester City midfielder came to force it back from him, he passes it to De Bruyne who plays a brilliant through ball to Hazard. Hazard enters the box from the left and takes the shot and fizzes past the far post.
Marcelo with a low cross from the left and it is behind both Firmino and Neymar, Belgium clear it easily.
Douglas Costa makes his first appearance in this World Cup, coming on in place of Gabriel Jesus. Brazil have been better in this second half but have no goals to show.
Gabriel Jesus gets past Vertonghen with a sensational nutmeg near the byline on the right inside the box. Kompany then puts in a tackle to stop him, The Brazilians ask for a spot-kick, referee has a check with VAR before giving Belgium a goal kick.
Neymar drives into the box and goes down to a challenge from Fellaini. Referee says nothing doing and Brazil carry on, although Fellaini did give Neymar a piece of his mind in the middle of all that. The referee seems to warn Neymar after play is stopped.
Brazil fans increasing the decibel levels in Kazan as Marcelo puts a low cross in from the left, Firmino gets there and stabs a foot at it, but misses it by inches. Too close for comfort there for the Belgians.
Neymar tries to get into space inside the box but Kompany nicks the ball away from him, he passes it to De Bruyne who is near the halfway mark and charges forward, he finds Lukakyu in space ahead of him on the right. The Manchester United striker drives into the box and Miranda is the man who blocks his path, the ball rolls to Allison.
Brazil have brought on Roberto Firmino for Willian. Belgium get the second half going.
2-0 down at halftime is never good news for a team in the quarter finals of the World Cup.
Fernandinho and Kevin De Bruyne scoring is always good news for Manchester City. It has been the same for Belgium, although that shouldn't have been the case. This has been an incredible first half performance from Belgium. They have towered over the Brazilians while defending long balls and during set-piece situations and their counter-attacks have caught the opposition multiple times. Romelu Lukaku and Kevin De Bruyne are causing them all sorts of problems but Brazil have not looked completely toothless. There are certainly more goals in this match but Brazil have a proper mountain to climb now.
Belgian corner from the left and it is directed towards the near post. The ball is back heeled towards goal by Vincent Kompany (!!!!!!) Allison bends and collects it.
Coutinho with a vicious curler from the left and Courtois does well to dive and hold on top the ball.
Neymar and Marcelo combine well and the latter puts in a rather dangerous cross into the box. it is deflected goalwards but Courtois manages to hold it. Brazil may be two down but they are certainly not looking as toothless as they did on that fateful night at the Mineirao against Germany four years ago.
Brazil are only able to get crosses into the box which the towering Belgians are able to easily clear.
Nightmare scenario for the Brazilians now. Lukaku charges forward on the counter, dances past a couple of Brazilian shirts before threading a pass through to De Bruyne on the right, he jogs to the edge of the box, the Brazilian defenders statuesque, and takes the shot. The ball races past Allison and nestles in the bottom left corner.
.....it is directed towards the near post and cleared by Brazil.
Brazil corner, taken by Coutinho, it is cleared out and comes to Neymar who cuts in from the left and takes the shot. It is deflected out for another corner. This time it is Neymar standing over it from the right....
Marcelo with a shot from the left around 25 yards away from goal at the far post and Courtois is forced to make the save. Belgium counter with Hazard turning around in the left midfield area before passing it forward to De Bruyne who is in all sorts of space, he crosses it to the far side where Thiago Silva flicks the ball away before it reached Fellaini.
Brazil looking as open as a doorless entrance whenever Belgium hit them on the counter. Lukaku nutmegs Miranda inside the box but can't quite get his shot on target. It is deflected out, though and Belgium get a corner that comes to nothing. Before Coutinho did his typical 'cut inside from the flanks and take the shot from distance' routine. It was off target.
Brazil almost get an equaliser almost immediately after conceding. Neymar driubbles all the way to the byline and and pulls back for Jesus but the latter can't sort out his body shape, Courtois collects.
Corner for Belgium and all their giants have gone into the box. Hazard's corner kick is directed at the near post and Fernandinho scoffs his clearing header, the ball bounces off his head and upper right arm and into goal.
Corner for Brazil delivered from the left, Miranda flicks it towards the near post where the ball bounces off Thiago Silva's shin and on to the post! Courtois graciously holds on to the rebound. Belgium then counter at the end of which Hazard lets a shot fly from the edge of the box but too many Brazilian feet are in between him and goal.
Brazil get things going in Kazan. They are in their iconic yellow shirts and blue shirts and Belgium are in their regular fiery red. Brazil attacking from left to right in this first half. Kevin De Bruyne has a glance with a shot from a long way off and that soars safely off target. Brazil then attack with Neymar trying to provide a cross for Jesus from the right but Courtois is first to it.
Brazil's captain-for-the-day is Joao Miranda. The national anthems have been played, the two sets of players have shaken hands and the captains have exchanged pleasantries with each other and the officials. We are ready to go in Kazan.
......face France in the semi-final on July 10. France beat Uruguay 2-0 earlier in the day in Nizhny Novgorod confirmed their progression to the last-four.
The match is being held at the Kazan Arena. It serves as the home stadium for Rubin Kazan. The stadium has hosted one knockout match before this and that was the potboiler between France and Argentina.
So Marcelo does return to the Brazilian starting XI and Tite will be very happy with the fact that Douglas Costa is available for selection. Casemiro, who is suspended for this match, is replaced by Fernandinho.
Belgium have given Nacer Chadli and Marouane Fellaini starts while Dries Mertens and Yannick Carrasco are on the bench.
Brazil: Alisson, Marcelo, Thiago Silva, Miranda, Fagner, Paulinho, Fernandinho, Coutinho, Jesus, Neymar, Willian.
Subs: Geromel, Filipe Luis, Renato Augusto, Cassio, Marquinhos, Fred, Firmino, Taison, Ederson, Danilo
Belgium: Courtois, Alderweireld, Kompany, Vertonghen, Meunier, Fellaini, Witsel, Chadli, De Bruyne, Lukaku, Eden Hazard.
Subs: Vermaelen, Carrasco, Mignolet, Casteels, Mertens, Thorgan Hazard, Tielemans, Januzaj, Dembele, Boyata, Batshuayi, Dendoncker
These two sides have met five times before, off which just one was a World Cup match. That was in 2002 and Brazil won 2-0. Belgium have managed to win just one of the rest of the four matches and that win came in 1963. But history holds little value, considering the strength of this Belgian team and the form they have shown throughout this tournament.
Belgium coach Roberto Martinez has dubbed the clash against Brazil as the "game of the tournament". Listen to what he has to say:
Meanwhile, if you are wondering what is happening in Uruguay vs France match, follow LIVE UPDATES here
Brazil right back Danilo has been ruled out of the rest of the World Cup after suffering ankle ligament damage in training on the eve of Friday’s quarter-final against Belgium, the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) said in a statement. The 26-year-old suffered a thigh problem in Brazil’s opening group game against Switzerland and has since been replaced in the team by Fagner. Danilo himself came into the side after Dani Alves pulled out of the squad before the finals through injury.
Which has been the better team in this World Cup so far?
Neymar has not been in the best form so far. He has faced criticisms for his "theatrics" and "acting", as he has gained attention for constantly falling down. But Karan Prashant Saxena argues he still holds the key to ensure Brazil do not "fall" down against Belgium.
"If Neymar can spend a little more time up front and connect better with Jesus Gabriel, who is having a really quiet summer in Russia, he can become a real threat for Jan Vertonghen and Vincent Kompany to tackle. Add the speed and accuracy of Philippe Coutinho to the mix and it is a recipe for disaster. Neymar, also needs to play a little selflessly, and look to be more dependent on Coutinho and Jesus (or Firmino, who is likely to get a start), rather than attempting to go for glory himself."
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An exciting contest is in store in the quarterfinal of the World Cup with Brazil ready to face Belgium in the quarterfinal of the World Cup. Both the teams have not lost a single game in the course of the tournament so far, but Brazil did suffer a surprise draw against Switzerland, though. Belgium have won all their games, but have appeared slightly weak in defence. It will be an exciting contest between the two teams as both attempt to book a spot in the semis.