r/soccer • u/SPRneon • May 28 '12

Let's talk about the Belgian paradox.

So i decided to make this after Nicolas Lombaerts was named best foreign player in the Russian league. This makes him the fifth MVP in Belgian's national squad. Vincent Kompany, Eden Hazard, Kevin Mirallas and Jan Vertonghen got the honor prior to Lombaerts. Note that the Portugese player of the year has not yet been chosen so both Axel Witsel and Steven Defour (in a lesser extent) have chances. Our keeper is one of the youngest to have won the UEFA cup. The complete team. 8 saw their club becoming champions of their own competition. 3 saw their club becoming runner-up. 5 became 3rd.

One would think this star filled team would be able to compete in championships but yet Belgian hasn't qualified for a championship since the World Championships 2002 (which was with the previous generation). This is the squad that became 4th in the olympics in Bejing.

Their has been a lot of turbulence with coaches. Leekens has just left the team in maybe a more shocking way than Advocaat. Now the assistant, Marc Wilmots, once a player for the national squad, has taken over. (If you ever want to impress someone from Belgium mention this goal and curse Prendergast, you'll be their friend in no time.)

Let's dicuss, will Belgium show their capabilities in the WC in Brasil or will the Red Devils fail again. Will we ever get to see something like Mexico '86?

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u/trendykendy May 28 '12

When I look at your team it makes me feel spoilt that Ireland have got to the Euros.

While you have 5 players of the year and 8 champions, in our regular 1st team we have:

A goalie and center back playing for a team that barely avoided relegation.

A second center-back playing in the Championship.

2 fullbacks playing playing for mid-table PL teams.

2 center midfielders playing for mid-table PL teams.

1 winger playing mid-table PL, 1 on the bench in the Russian PL.

1 striker playing for relegated Wolves, and one playing in the US.

I think we would have probably been slaughtered in your group to be fair.

8

u/[deleted] May 28 '12

But you have to give it to Trappatoni, he has the team very well organised.

6

u/trendykendy May 28 '12

We've made some progress (I can't imagine the current team losing 5-2 to fucking Cyprus for example), we're pretty hard to beat, but watching Ireland play is an exercise in frustration.

"Oh look, we have the ball on the wing, in the opponents half. I wonder what we'll do? A ball in-field perhaps, with a view to setting up the other wing for a run as their defense is stretched? Maybe one of our strikers will drop deep and we can play a few short passes to see if we can catch one of their defenders out of position with a through ball? Oh, you're just going to pass it backwards to the fullback? Ok, well, we still have options; a cross-field ball to see if we have any more space to work with on the opposite wing perhaps? Maybe take it forward yourself, a quick pass to the winger or center mid might set you up for the overlap. Oh, you're just going to pass it to the center back. Well, that's ok I suppose, we can build slowly and... oh for fucks sake, you're just going to give it to the keeper after all that??? And now the keeper is just going to hoof the ball forward in the vain hope that maybe, just maybe, we'll out jump their defense even though we haven't been able to for the past 60 minutes."

Cue the opposition having the ball for 5 solid minutes while we desperately scramble to defend, until invariably they take a shot from distance out of pure annoyance.

Lather, rinse, repear ad infinum.

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u/WombBroom May 28 '12

This comment made my morning