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Modric retires Hazard

2022-12-01T19:25:34.542Z


Croatia holds on to the draw against Belgium, which gives them a pass to the round of 16 and puts an end to the golden generation of the Real Madrid winger. Roberto Martínez says goodbye as coach


The end of the golden generation of Belgium, third in the previous World Cup, happened accompanied by a moment full of symbolism.

In the 87th minute, Eden Hazard finally appeared on the grass, and he did so replacing Meunier, precisely the footballer who broke his right ankle in November.

There began a tortuous trail of injuries that deactivated a rare and exciting talent that went out this Thursday, with his extraordinary Belgian litter, at the Ahmad bin Ali stadium.

With them, his ideologue also left, the Spanish Roberto Martínez, coach since 2016, who at the end announced that he would not renew his contract: "It was my last game as national coach."

Nor was the rival that left them without the round of 16 lacking in symbolism, this Croatia that retains the endless Luka Modric, but that has found spare parts to update its 2018 version, and that endured the final flurry of chances from Lukaku, which seemed definitive, and it was not.

Croatian Ivan Perisic (front) fights for an air ball with Belgium's Romelu Lukaku (left), Axel Witsel (behind) and Toby Alderweireld (right) during today's match between Belgium and Croatia.

Ebrahim Noroozi (AP)

Belgium, drenched in the internal tidal wave of frustration, took to the field with the rage of the recently wounded.

Also with the giddiness of him.

And with a modification to seal an era.

For the first time in this World Cup, perhaps for the first time in a decisive match for his team, Hazard did not appear in the starting eleven.

The bracelet was put on by De Bruyne, the most frustrated of the group, the most desperate with so much talent on the verge of dissolving in history with the memory of having drowned on the brink of a title.

And so, on the urge of desperation, the Belgians pressed high.

But Croatia disarmed the outburst with a couple of passes and two scares.

Before the first minute they had already stepped on Courtois' area with the ball, and a high shot from Perisic.

A wake-up call to the rabid Belgium, which slowed down and reordered.

What did not change were De Bruyne's impulses, with his impressive runs and a clairvoyance for the pass that Mertens wasted only in the area.

The agitation of the initial skirmishes was appeased by a scare from Courtois, who found himself planted on the line, with Luka Modric in front of him on the edge of the area, ready to kick him a penalty.

As they looked at each other, seconds ticked by, but the referee never blew his whistle.

The VAR found an offside prior to the alleged penalty against Kramaric.

It was as if the two teams suddenly released the air they had been holding.

After the shock, the party fell asleep.

Belgium passed the ball from one side to the other, Croatia felt comfortable watching them and the crowd began to wave, the legendary antidote to sleep.

But cash only for seats.

On the grass, the alarm clock was the whistle that marked the break.

Then Lukaku appeared, who arrived in Qatar at the limit, and therefore with a limited bag of minutes.

It had an immediate effect.

The Inter forward headed immediately, but without force, a ball that arrived deactivated in the hands of Livakovic.

What opened up was not the expected Belgian avalanche, but an exchange of blows in which Croatia forced a series of three good saves from Courtois.

The most determined of the night continued to be De Bruyne, who found his space detector again and illuminated the most dangerous moment.

He galloped again.

He put a ball to wait for Carrasco in the area, behind the defenders, who blocked his shot.

But Lukaku reached the rebound and popped the stick.

The striker was so close to the goal that it could have seemed that he was dodging it.

A ball hit him in the belly with the empty door, he did not reach another with the heels by a finger.

With each mistake so close to the goal that would have qualified them, a memory of that happy time seemed to fade when they hovered around glory and ruled the world ranking, which does not award trophies.

Thus, fighting with the goal - only one against the 18 in Russia - the old band ended, with the captain's armband surrounding Hazard's biceps in his last dance in a World Cup.

Roberto Martinez, hugging the Belgian Jeremy Doku after the game against Croatia.

Thanassis Stavrakis (AP)

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Classification

Group F

PT

P.J.

PG

PE

PP

1

SEA

7

3

two

1

0

two

CRO

5

3

1

two

0

3

BEL

4

3

1

1

1

4

DOG

0

3

0

0

3

Group F

PT

P.J.

PG

PE

PP

1

SEA

7

3

two

1

0

two

CRO

5

3

1

two

0

3

BEL

4

3

1

1

1

4

DOG

0

3

0

0

3

Source: elparis

All sports articles on 2022-12-01

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