DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Belgium midfielder Kevin De Bruyne knew he didn’t play nicely in his crew’s opening World Cup recreation. He mentioned as a lot when he accepted the person of the match award.“I don’t know why I received the trophy,” De Bruyne mentioned. “Possibly it’s due to my title.”With De Bruyne trying to enhance after the unimpressive 1-0 win over Canada, Belgium has a second probability towards Morocco on Sunday to point out why it’s the No. 2-ranked crew on the planet behind Brazil .This may be the final World Cup probability for a lot of on the highly-rated Belgian squad, because the “golden era” has usually been reminded within the runup to Qatar. The backbone of the crew — De Bruyne, Eden Hazard, Axel Witsel, Jan Vertonghen, Toby Alderweireld and goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois — are all of their 30s.Hazard acknowledged that Belgium’s possibilities have been higher on the 2018 World Cup in Russia. However he’s not writing off this event.“The crew was higher 4 years in the past. Nonetheless we now have the standard to win video games, to win competitions,” he mentioned. “We’ve got a couple of guys — they’re a bit older now, however we now have expertise. We’ve got one of the best goalkeeper on the planet. We’ve got among the best midfields on the planet. We’ve got the strikers. We’re a whole crew.”Hazard mentioned first video games are robust, and the Canada opener was typical.“There’s all the time numerous stress round it and also you don’t wish to lose the ball so that you have a tendency to cover a bit bit,” he mentioned. “I’m not nervous. We have to work collectively. We have to begin attending to know one another once more.”Coach Roberto Martinez, who mentioned the efficiency towards Canada was one among Belgium’s worst since he’s been in cost, is likely to be tempted to herald recent faces towards Morocco.“Our first half towards Canada, we didn’t play at our high stage,” Martinez mentioned. “However we reacted very nicely throughout the second half.”Martinez would dearly like to deliver again highly effective striker Romelu Lukaku, who missed the Canada opener with a left thigh damage and is uncertain for the complete group stage. Some Belgian media has been reporting that Belgium’s document goal-scorer may make an earlier-than-expected return towards the Moroccans at Al Thumama Stadium in Doha.Morocco will probably be much less fazed on the prospect of attempting to include De Bruyne having already succeeded at subduing one other of the world’s greatest midfielders in Luka Modric.A 0-0 draw with 2018 World Cup finalist Croatia of their first Group F recreation was a promising begin to the World Cup for Morocco and particularly for coach Walid Regragui, who had lower than three months to organize his crew having solely been employed on the finish of August. He had coached Morocco in simply three pleasant video games earlier than coming into the World Cup. Evaluate that to Zlatko Dalic’s 5 years in control of Croatia. Or Martinez’s six years with Belgium.The World Cup schedule gave Morocco a frightening begin with 2018 runners-up Modric and Croatia adopted by De Bruyne and Belgium, who completed third in that final World Cup. However the level towards Croatia offered an actual confidence-booster.“Arriving in these circumstances is just not simple, however I accepted the problem,” Regragui mentioned. And the Croatia end result “made us imagine,” he added.___
De Bruyne, Belgium want 2nd probability to impress at World Cup
