World Cup Report Card | Belgium | OneFootball

Belgium’s goalless draw against Croatia proved to be the final nail in the coffin for the country’s ‘Golden Generation’, as they were knocked out of the World Cup in the group stages in what has proven to be a disastarous campaign.

While Belgium could have got a win against Croatia if Romelu Lukaku had finished his chances, their performances in the first two games were dire. They looked tired and they were outrun by the opposition, while lacking any attacking verve. They looked like a fading unit throughout, as Roberto Martinez struggled to put them together in a unit that had any coherence.

Most important player: While Kevin de Bruyne had spoken a lot about why Belgium were not going to win the tournament, he was arguably their best player. He was always a massive threat on the counter-attack and was their most creative player in the tournament. He could have done better during specific moments but he was still a massive contributor, when it comes to setting others up.

Biggest disappointment: While Lukaku’s misses against Croatia proved to be a real killer, the in-fighting between players was probably a sign of things to come for Belgium. Considering the fact that they were hailed as the ‘Golden Generation’ and had played together for many years, the quarrels let the team down and for any outsider looking in, it gave the impression that their heart was never truly in it.

Grade: E – A tournament to forget for the players and Martinez and they would hate to be associated with the debacle

GWFN