Belgium lost the World Cup quarterfinal to Spain 1:2 in a match significantly affected by the substitution of goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois about twenty minutes before the end. After the match, Courtois claimed he wanted to stay in goal despite his health problems, but coach Rudi García decided to substitute him. sport.sk ↗
Senne Lammens came on in goal, who, according to several accounts, had considerably less experience and was not fully match-sharp. It was precisely his error that subsequently became one of the key moments in Belgium's elimination. After the match, Courtois held back tears and embraced his substitute, reacting to the situation in which Lammens found himself following the decisive mistake. isport.cz ↗
Belgium had already run into trouble before kickoff, when it lost key midfielder Youri Tielemans during the warm-up. García assessed the team's performance bitterly yet with pride, while according to available information he also had objections to the referee's decisions. The Belgian team thus left the tournament after a match in which both fitness and gameplay complications had piled up. sport.sk ↗
Further developments will primarily concern Courtois's future with the national team. Following the elimination, reports emerged suggesting the goalkeeper could face the end of his international career. For Belgium, the match against Spain remains an example of a game in which a single forced change in the lineup altered the outcome of the entire quarterfinal. n-tv ↗
Courtois wanted to keep playing, Belgium undone by substitute's error
This summary was generated by artificial intelligence. It may contain inaccuracies. Please verify information in the original sources below.
Sources (3)
Píše históriu majstrovstiev sveta. Španielsky žolík dokázal niečo, čo pred ním nikto na svete
sport.sk
| 09:35 11.07.
Brankár Belgicka Courtois chcel zostať na ihrisku a chytať aj zranený. Čo mu povedal tréner?
sport.sk
| 07:46 11.07.
Courtois: Simán tudtam volna a kapuban maradni, de az edző azt mondta, ha nem vagy százszázalékos, lecseréllek
Telex
| 06:45 11.07.
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