Available for everyone, funded by readers. In the World Cup sometimes you want to be perfect. Chadli chases down the loose ball and crosses it back in, and Lukaku’s powerful header is tipped over! 56 mins: Carrasco, who has been poor, blasts a shot high from the edge of the area. Belgium 3-2 Japan: World Cup 2018 – as it happened. Today was a day to be proud of this group of players. 43 mins: Shoji does a lovely 360-degree spin away from trouble just outside his own penalty area. He doesn’t. 39 mins: Japan aren’t so much competing here as being tenderised. Absolutely brilliant. Unbelievable. It concluded with two seconds of the game to play. It was me who might have lost control of the game. Yellow card. And at that point I thought we might go into extra time. We took the lead, but we couldn’t win. We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. Kagawa chests the ball down on the edge of the area but with defenders well placed in front of him lays it off to Inui, whose shot arrows past Courtois and into the corner! Pure, joyous incredulity. This content is currently not available in your region. He’s so happy about it that he immediately passes the ball straight back to a Belgian. But Belgium always had the option of bringing on Fellaini – and, potentially, others – and with their height offering a threat that no amount of skill and effort from Japan could contain. Belgium 2-2 Japan (Fellaini, 74 mins), GOAL! Japan did brilliantly to keep Belgium’s best players quiet, and to threaten themselves. This seems strange, as a near-certain goal appeared to be prevented. These players can. “Are the laws of the game even applying at this world cup? Two defenders followed his run, and the pass back to him simply was not on, but Mertens gave it a go anyway. I really wanted to score another goal, and we did have opportunities. pic.twitter.com/9Z5oNWScxa, “So Japan switch off for the last quarter of the game,” writes Ben Simmons. History is written by the victors, and all that. 46 mins: Peeeeeep! We were to some extent controlling the ball and controlling the game, but at that point Belgium upped their game, when they really had to. This has the feel of a thrashing waiting to happen. Japan made no attempt to kill the game at 2-0 up. 82 mins: A Japanese double substitution: Shibasaki comes off for Yamaguchi, and Honda comes on for Haraguchi. Their decision-making has let them down a bit, and the ball hasn’t quite fallen for them, but surely if this continues over 90 minutes it’ll come. “Who’s throwing his legs in the air now?” asks Wendell D’Souza. 73 mins: Belgium break from the corner, and at the end of it De Bruyne has a low shot from the edge of the area which is brilliantly blocked by Shoji. I don’t think you should blame the players. 72 mins: Japan remain on the front foot. 88 mins: Kawashima does not inspire a great deal of confidence. You have to congratulate Japan, they played the perfect game. Undeniable. By clicking “I agree” below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. Masterminded. “How nice that Fifa allowed both teams to play in their first kit,” notes Kari Tulinius. We rely on readers like you to uphold a free press. “But, this is a moment for a captain to rally, gee-up, and inspire his teammates. Belgium 3-2 Japan (Chadli, 90+4 mins), GOAL! Down the other end Inui gets into the area, and Alderweireld slides across to block his shot! 77 mins: Sakai rampages down the right again, and sends in an excellent cross that’s headed to Kagawa on the edge of the area, whose pass forwards rolls out of play. You also agree to our Terms of Service. “Regarding Yoshida’s shove, that’s a penalty,” writes Christopher Barnes. 75 mins: A remarkable match, this. 71 mins: A Belgium corner was flapped at by Kawashima and then headed (theoretically) away from danger. Hazard and Lukkaku are just at par. Inui slams it in from 25 yards! It is goalless, but for the entire game it has felt like one is just about to happen. 36 mins: Japan have a good period of possession, which ends with them giving the ball away in their own half and Hazard and then Witsel having shots that are blocked and blazed over, respectively. Japan have only done this once, but it did worry me a bit. On that last-minute free-kick/corner double-whammy: We wanted to finish the match, to win the match. You’ve watched the players – now rate the players! Belgium play Brazil in the quarter-finals. I am devastated. The midfielders behind them then move wide, which means that if the forwards don’t put pressure on the ball their opponents are left with a very straightforward pass down the middle of the pitch into their attacking third. On the BBC, nobody has mentioned Yoshida’s shove on Lukaku. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. Ten seconds later Japan were in the lead. They were so solid, they frustrated us, then they were clinical on the counter. He asked for that, really. My players, throughout this tournament, were very positive, better than in the past. At the end we couldn’t really match them. Sadly nobody is on hand to convert this from embarrassing mistake to one of the all-time great World Cup goalie howlers. Belgium need to wake up. 44 mins: Nagatomo’s shot goes straight to Osako at the near post, who is too surprised about it to spin and slam it in. 49 mins: And Belgium hit the post! Kagawa plays the ball to Honda, bursting deep into the penalty area, but Kompany throws himself at the ball and gets in the way of the shot. @Simon_Burnton The Japanese flag on face paint is not a good look, looks like you've been smacked one on the snozzer. “Japan had won nothing in the air all game and with Courtois’ quick thinking, laid themselves wide open. Well, that’s what happens in the World Cup. 86 mins: Double save! An excellent cross from Meunier on the right finds the forehead of Lukaku at the near post, and after profoundly outjumping his markers he glances the header wide! The reaction of everyone wanting to get back in the game. All rights reserved. Japan are closing down well, and defending diligently if not always very calmly. I’m going to pootle off at this point. Nagatomo’s excellent cross is cleared by Alderweireld.

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