After leading the team to a 3-2 comeback victory over Senegal, Belgium coach Rudi Garcia gave an interview to beIN Sports.
Thanks to Rudi Garcia for joining us. Football is truly crazy, we say it often, but we just witnessed it again. It was cruel for Senegal, wonderful for Belgium, but the gap between the two teams was actually very small.
Yes, that's true. Football is a tapestry of emotions, and tonight the emotions were brilliant. For me, the best reward is seeing my players so happy, celebrating on the field with the Belgian fans who came to Seattle. I'm also thinking of the 12 million Belgian people who must be very happy tonight and proud of their national team. The start of the match was not ideal—we conceded too many goals in the first half by attempting dangerous passes from too far away and not executing our tactical plan well. However, from the middle of the first half, we found our rhythm again. The second goal conceded was a big blow, but as I told the players during the hydration break, the key was scoring the third goal of the match. If it was 2-1, the game would be open again. You know how football is: when you're 2-0 up and it becomes 2-1, you suddenly worry about losing your lead. And they did lose their composure, because we believed until the very end. I told them that even if we were 0-2 down in the 90th minute, we could still score two goals and take the game to extra time. In the end, we scored a little earlier—in the 85th minute and a few minutes later. The subsequent extra time was back and forth, like boxers in the 15th round, with both sides vying for control. They had chances, and we also had several excellent opportunities. Finally, the referee awarded a clear penalty. To be honest, since the beginning of this tournament, we haven't had much luck with refereeing decisions, but fortunately it was awarded this time, and Tielemans calmly converted the penalty under pressure, sending us to the Round of 16. Now we have to see if our next opponent is the host nation USA or Bosnia and Herzegovina led by Dzeko. I would be happy to see Dzeko again, as I coached him when I was at Roma.
One last question. We often see you taking notes on the sidelines; this has become a habit of yours, whether in Ligue 1 or at Roma. Can you tell us what's in those notes? Some say it's an emotional log, recording your feelings during the game, or are they tactical instructions? Why do you take so many notes?
I'm also preparing for substitutions. This is very important; substitutions must be made correctly. I am very aware of the strength on the bench. If I had to summarize today's game, it was a team victory because I know there are many options available. The midfield has physical and height advantages, and although the defense has slightly less of this advantage, they can also perform well defensively. Upfront, there is speed, and there are many talented players on the bench. So when the starting lineup isn't working well, it's up to me to adjust. I am very satisfied tonight because Lukaku has helped us score goals after coming on as a substitute for the third consecutive time. He scored two himself and once forced an own goal from an opposing defender against Egypt. I love my players very much; this is a team I really like, so I hope we can go further because they deserve it. We are experiencing a wonderful emotional moment. Now we need to enjoy it and recover our energy, as 120 minutes is indeed very draining.
AF's PC site is now live! Browse full news, comments, match details and stats on your computer. Visit: www.allfootballapp.com