Belgium v Japan round of 16 match thread

[Bob Weasel Fox]

7pm tomorrow

 

Shinji magic?

 

or Belgium to win 3-0

[Tuna]

Should be a piece of cake for Belgium. 2-0.

[Max Wall]

Could they?

 

Probably not.

3-1 Belgium.

[kushiro]

Shinji has said his foot injury 'is OK' - and he wants to play some part in the game, but he's missed some training sessions since the game and it's unlikely he'll be 100% fit tonight. 

 

Looks very likely that Japan will revert to the line up from their first two games, with Osako the lone striker, Kagawa behind him, and Inui and Haraguchi wide. IMHO the stars of the team so far have been the full backs Nagatomo and Sakai. Solid defensively and good pushing forward. Shibasaki in the middle has also been very impessive, spraying passes around.

 

There has been some tension between the squad and the Japanese media, with players expressing anger at the leaking of the six changes before the Poland game. Seems like Nishino wanted to surprise the Poles with a totally new formation, rather like Mexico v Germany, but in the end he was very lucky that his gamble didn't backfire. (You could say that about his other gamble, too - the instructions to kill the game for the last seven minutes). 

 

I was so impressed with this team in the first two games, and if they can rediscover that level of performance they could surprise Belgium.

 

A couple of pics from the Poland game - Shinji coming off in the 47th minute with that foot injury...

 

...having looked very sharp with that dash and diving header in the first half:

 

Let's hope he gets a chance to come on and win cap number 117, which would put him just three short of Theo Zagorakis and eight short of Peter Shilton.

Edited 2 July 2018 by kushiro

[Nalis]

No Shinji 

[Izzy]

All those who said England should go all out and win the group will be desperate for Japan to play shite tonight 

[Nalis]

This will be the match everyone stops rimming France.

 

4-0 Belgium

[ARM1968]

Banzai!!!!

[Brooksy]

If it's not Murphy it's Keown, 

[HereBeFoxes]

Massive Okazaki banner behind the Japan goal 

[ARM1968]

Japan looking good. 

[Finnegan]

12 minutes ago, Brooksy said:

If it's not Murphy it's Keown, 

 

Keown is absolutely ****ing abysmal. 

 

 

[Suzie the Fox]

I'd love Japan to win. 

[AlloverthefloorYesNdidi]

Really like this Japan team

[Vacamion]

I want Japan to win.

 

Partly because they have one of our most beloved ever players.

 

Mostly to stop the spaffing over Belgium.

 

BBC pundits calling Belgium the Harlem Globetrotters earlier.

 

 

 

 

[ARM1968]

Where has Lukaku been rehabilitating? McDonalds?

[PhillippaT]

Japan's living dangerously here...

[Vacamion]

Japan's keeper is proper bombscare, ain't he?

[Suzie the Fox]

Why dont GK's catch the ball anymore? 

 

And why are Japan sitting so deep  

[bovril]

Just now, Vacamion said:

Japan's keeper is proper bombscare, ain't he?

Would a kamikaze joke be inappropriate? Just don't know any more do you...

[Finnegan]

I really haven't seen Yuya Osako do anything Shinji couldn't tbf. 

[Izzy]

10 minutes ago, Vacamion said:

Japan's keeper is proper bombscare, ain't he?

 

Edited 2 July 2018 by Izzy Muzzett
Inappropriate actually - sorry

[Max Wall]

16 minutes ago, Finnegan said:

 

Keown is absolutely ****ing abysmal. 

 

 

He's not as good as that.

[Finnegan]

Love Martin Keown giving the kids at home some shooting tips. 

 

That's Martin Keown, 585 career appearances. 8 goals. 

Edited 2 July 2018 by Finnegan

[Wakeyfox]

Fancy Japan to get a goal