Belgium head coach Rudi Garcia has strongly defended his team against criticism labeling them 'has-beens', ahead of their World Cup last-32 match against Senegal. The response came after Belgium secured top spot in Group G with a 5-1 thrashing of New Zealand.
Garcia's Strong Defense of His Squad
In a curt post-match press conference following the New Zealand victory, Garcia adjusted the microphone to ensure his point was heard. 'I really didn't appreciate them being called has-beens,' he said, referring to an article in La Libre, a French-language Belgian newspaper, that compared Kevin De Bruyne to a washed-up Hollywood actor after a flat display against Iran.
Garcia praised his 'four leaders' – Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, Thibaut Courtois, and Leandro Trossard – who scored twice against New Zealand. Trossard's opener was Belgium's first self-scored goal at the tournament after 45 attempts and over 200 minutes of play, following an own goal against Egypt.
Comprehensive Victory Over New Zealand
The goals came after comical defending from New Zealand, with Chris Wood and Tim Payne inadvertently marking each other, allowing Trossard to open the scoring. De Bruyne got on the scoresheet, Lukaku headed in 56 seconds after coming off the bench, and Charles De Ketelaere added the final touch. Despite the comprehensive win, Garcia seemed uninterested in discussing whether it had eased pressure, deferring to De Ketelaere in a press conference.
'Are you under pressure? Has the game against New Zealand changed anything?' Garcia asked his player. De Ketelaere responded by referencing Monday's games: 'Yesterday showed us that to be favourites or not doesn't matter.' Garcia then smiled and said, 'Le même chose.'
Belgium's Form and Record
Belgium's tournament performances have made them seem vulnerable to an upset, but it is easy to forget they have not lost in 16 months since a 3-1 defeat to Ukraine, which was Garcia's first game in charge. While they underwhelmed until the New Zealand match, that record counts for something. Garcia also has a healthy squad, with Jérémy Doku, De Ketelaere, and Lukaku improving fitness, and Zeno Debast available after a leg injury.
If Belgium progress, they could face the USA in the last 16. In March, Belgium overpowered Mauricio Pochettino's side 5-2 in a friendly in Atlanta. They were unbeaten in qualifying, scoring 29 goals, including back-to-back six-goal hauls and a 7-0 win against Liechtenstein.
Looking Ahead to Senegal
Asked if the big win felt like the start of their World Cup in earnest, Garcia said: 'We wanted to end first in the group and this is what we did. I wish we had won more games – all our games – but we are not going to go back to the past. What matters now is that we have progressed out of the group stage and we know that we are playing the strongest third-placed team: Senegal had a very tough group with France, Norway and Iraq and this is probably why they finished third, but it doesn't matter because if you want to go far in a World Cup you have to defeat good and excellent teams: Senegal is here and we want to progress.'
Victory allowed Belgium to remain in Seattle, where they have been based for three weeks at Seattle Sounders' training headquarters. Garcia downplayed the advantage but acknowledged knowing Senegal's head coach, Pape Thiaw, from his days at Saint-Étienne, where he assisted Robert Nouzaret and John Toshack. 'I was following young players and I told Robert: "You should have a look at this young Senegalese player,"' Garcia recalled. 'It's funny because I had forgotten about it but when we saw each other in December for the draw we hugged and he reminded me. But his career is something that he built – he was a wonderful player and now a wonderful coach. He's a good man, but I'm going to defeat him, which is too bad for him … I'm looking forward to seeing him again.'
