CARSON, Calif. (AP) — No more playful dancing. No more mock social media posts. Belgium celebrated their victory over hosts USA and are working hard to extend the World Cup on American soil.
The Red Devils practiced Wednesday in the Los Angeles area, where memories are still fresh. Defeated the American army 4-1 Monday in Seattle. Belgium, which overcame a challenge from Senegal in a thrilling comeback and completely dominated the United States in the first two knockout games, faces its toughest challenge yet. undefeated spain in Friday’s quarterfinals.
But goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois believes this turbulent World Cup run has sparked something in the Belgian team.
“We knew it was going to be a tough game against the Americans, so that gave us a lot of confidence,” Courtois said at the Los Angeles Galaxy’s suburban stadium. “They’re obviously the home team that fills the stadium, so it was great to perform well defensively and offensively and just play our game.”
Belgium went into the game with universal outrage following a goal by American star forward Folarin Balogun. FIFA mysteriously lifts one-match red card suspension. The Red Devils won against an inferior American team and celebrated with great joy both on the pitch and in the locker room.
In the most viral moments, many players did a simple dance It is associated with US President Donald Trump and has been unveiled in recent months by a number of athletes in the sports world, including American star Christian Pulisic.
Belgium left-back Diego Moreira smiled slightly when asked about the meaning of the dance after President Trump called FIFA president Gianni Infantino to ask for a review of Balogun’s red card.
“There are different ways to celebrate different goals,” Moreira said through an interpreter. “You can do different dances, and that’s what we did. After the game, we just celebrated the win.”
Courtois said he could not comment on the dance because he was not in his dressing room as he was undergoing a doping test.
After landing for the second game of the tournament at SoFi Stadium in the Los Angeles area, the Red Devils said they have forgotten that cathartic night.
However, Belgium was still in an atmosphere of discussion with the Americans. A statement from the Royal Belgian Football Association said the team relocated its training base on Wednesday with FIFA approval after determining that the field allocated to Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles “does not meet the minimum standards required for training sessions.”
Belgium will be at a disadvantage against Spain, who have yet to concede a goal in this World Cup. That’s fine for the Red Devils, who have played their best football in the competition since an impressive comeback from a 2-0 deficit to beat Senegal 3-2.
When asked about facing the powerhouse Spain, Courtois’ mind immediately went back to Belgium’s 2-1 victory over Brazil at the Russia World Cup eight years ago. With this upset, the Red Devils advanced to the semi-finals for the first time in 32 years.
“They had the advantage against us and maybe they had better quality as an individual team,” Courtois said. “But right now, we feel like we are a great team and we are playing well. Especially against Senegal, we showed the ability to keep believing until the end, and that will be our strength at the World Cup. The important thing is to win games. It’s good to play well, but the most important thing is to win and compete. That’s what we did.”
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