Belgium have topped group G, defeating the English 1-nil in a timid and tepid affair between these two nations competing for the ultimate glory.
The expectations on the match were immediately diminished before kick off, as both teams put out team sheets with upwards of 15 changes between the two sides, the absences of Harry Kane and Eden Hazard being the biggest notable omissions.
The first half was borderline questionable as to the competitive integrity of football, as both teams seemed to almost give possession to the other, so little effort were the teams putting into the match.
The crowd was annoyed from the get-go, the whistling from the stands unrelenting at times as both teams walked through their movements.
Whatever was said to the players, and indeed, whether officials spoke with team management at half-time, at least brought about a lift in the spectacle.
The second half was significantly more watchable, as both teams managed to string together much more lively passages of play, Marcus Rashford and the Belgian attack putting together some strong shots on target.
It was an Adnan Januzaj belter that would ultimately separate the two sides at full-time, to give the Belgians the top spot in the group and a 100 per cent record going into the knock out phase.
His strike was particularly momentous for the young man, given that his heritage had, at one point, seen him torn between playing for either of these nations coming up against each on the field.
The goal also sparked the English into action, their own reputations seemingly questioned by the goal. To his credit, Rashford looked the more likely of the English to impact the scoreboard, as he missed the best English chance of the match, when he planted the ball wide of the post in a one on one moment with Thibaut Courtois.
A goal mouth scramble, and a Jordan Pickford save from a Dries Mertens pile driver were the other main chances in the half.
Little to like about this final encounter in Kaliningrad, but now both teams can focus on the cut-throat phase of the competition.
It may be a case of careful what you wish for for England, as while they have avoided the “tougher” half of the knock out phase, they now must navigate a tricky passage past Colombia.
Belgium now will feel confident going up against Japan where, hopefully, tougher opponents lie in wait in the path to the World Cup final.
England 0
Belgium 1
Kurt
Guest
Bit of a funny game as others have said. No real intensity and the general feel of a friendly. Whether this was a manufactured result or not for England is an interesting question but the end result is they now have the opportunity to get to a WC semi-final by playing Colombia and then either Sweden or Switzerland. I reckon if you offered that to the team and supporters at the start of the tournament they'd have bitten your hand off. Whether or not they're good enough to take advantage of that opportunity remains to be seen.
MQ
Guest
The last time England thought they ended up on the easier side of a draw at a major tournament, they lost to an island with a population about 5% of greater London.
MQ
Guest
We did learn that Belgium's B team is probably better than England's B team (if there was ever any doubt about it). Whether this opportunity to rotate players and freshen the squad pays off remains to be seen. 1. Dier was dire. Would have had close to a zero percent completion rate. 2. The hype about Rashford is just that. 3. Vardy always struggles at this level. Best part of the whole game was the celebratory kick of the ball by the Belgian player that bounced off the post into his own face. Now that's what I call entertainment.
Boz
Guest
So the loser of this match ends up in the “easier” side of the draw?