Belgium makes it to the knock-outs with ease

Belgium topped Group H beating South Korea 1-0 in their final outing in group stages in the FIFA World Cup 2014. Korea with this defeat crashed out of the tournament and thereby brought an end to the Asian challenge in this world cup.

Belgium needed a draw that would have been enough for qualification. They seemed to adopt the safety-first policy as Korea tried to breach their defense right from the very beginning. The score remained 0-0 at the half time as Korea failed to score against a Belgium side that had been given a new look with seven changes from the side that beat Russia. The only remarkable event that took place was the referee giving marching orders to Stevan Defour in the 44^th minute of the match for a two-legged lunging tackle on one of the Korean midfielders.

Belgium then had a task in hand in restricting the Koreans with one personnel short. Korea looked forward to score but couldn’t break the deadlock. It was in the 76^th minute that the deadlock was broken and it was the Belgians who did it. Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Vertonghen made it 1-0 in favour of the Red Devils in the 76^th minute and made the job even tougher for the Koreans. In the end the Belgians settled for a victory that saw them sailing into the knockouts with an all-win record.

Belgium will be up against USA in the pre-quarters who got defeated by the mighty Germans but went through with a better goal difference. However South Korea’s defeat made it easier for Algeria to make it to the next round and will be waiting for the next edition to make a stronger impression on the world stage.

• About the Author

About Argha Ghosh

An ardent follower of sports and die-hard Manchester United fan, Argha's ultimate dream is to watch a Manchester derby from the Stretford End at the Old Trafford.