Belgium-Turkey Qualifier Preview: The Showdown

A couple months ago, the Rode Duivels finally made good on their prodigious talent, beating Austria in convincing fashion, away from home. After a relatively easy victory against Azerbaijan, anticipation began to build towards the crucial home encounter against Guus Hiddink's Turkey. Tickets sold like hot cakes for this match (something that hasn't happened in Belgium for a long time). If Belgium wins, second place looks likely; a draw or loss gives Turkey the firm advantage. It's a must-win, without a shadow of a doubt, so tensions will be running high. In truth, the Turks are a big step up from the Austrians and Azeris. Apart from Marouane Fellaini Moussa Dembele and Romelu Lukaku, the squad is pretty much full strength. Turkey, however, will be missing the German footballer of the year, Nuri Sahin and Hamit Altintop. That limits their creativity to some extent, but the excellent Arda Turan should be able to pick up the slack.
Going on early reports, it seems safe to say that Mignolet, Alderweireld, Kompany, Van Buyten, Vertonghen, Simons, Defour, Witsel, Hazard and Chadli will start the match barring any unforseen injury. That likely means Thomas Vermaelen, who just came back from injury, will miss out. That's unfortunate for the captian of this squad, but it would be hard to displace Vertonghen at left-back, as he has been quite good there for the last few internationals. Many in Belgium will want to see Vermaelen in Van Buyten's centre back position, which is fair, given Van Buyten's track record, but Leekens has remained steadfastly confident in the Bayern man. At present, one of Alderweireld or Ciman will likely start at right-back. Leekens will probably give Alderweireld the spot, as Ciman has been on the bench for Standard Liege lately. Whatever the case, it's going to be an important decision, as the left flank is where Arda torments his opponents. If the defense does turn out as predicted, the wide defensive positions will be taken by centre backs, likely meaning solid defence but little attacking support from the fullbacks. That may hamper creativity, but it should give the wingers a little more leeway when it comes to tracking back.
The midfield is pretty much a given. Defour has had a couple of injuries in the past few months, but he should be healthy enough to play. If Fellaini was around, this would probably give Leekens more of a headache, but he's still recovering from an injury sustained with Everton. Simons is an excellent holding midfielder and Witsel was outstanding in his last games with Belgium, so don't expect any surprises there. It's a little disappointing not to see a guy like Radja Nainggolan get a selection after a great season in the Serie A, but it is good to see David Hubert, Genk's captain, get a callup.
The attack is where the picture gets a little hazy. While Lukaku was probable to start, he got injured at the last minute. So now it's between Jelle Vossen, Bjorn Vleminckx and Marvin Ogunjimi. Vossen is more crafty and technically skilled than either Vleminckx 0r Ogunjimi. He also doesn't hesitate to draw deep and get involved with the midfield play, and the lumbering Turkish central defenders may find that difficult to deal with. Vleminckx is probably the best finisher of the three, while Ogunjimi is the strongest and quickest. But given Vossen's attributes and his earlier performances with the Duivels, I'm picking him to start. With the absence of Dembele, Leekens has little choice other than to start Eden Hazard on the right flank. If he can replicate the form he's shown with Lille, the Turkish left-back (the young Ismail Koybasi) could be in for a long night. On the left side, Nacer Chadli will get the nod over Dries Mertens and Kevin De Bruyne (even though they both finished the season stronger than him). But Chadli is probably the most suited to a physical game, and since the diminutive Hazard will already be on the right, Leekens may feel that Chadli's strength and height will come handy.
So here's my predicted lineup:
----------------------------------Mignolet------------------------------------

Alderweireld----------Kompany-----------Van Buyten---------------Vertonghen

-------------------Defour-----------------------------Simons--------------------
------------------------------------Witsel----------------------------------------

Hazard-------------------------------------------------------------------Chadli
------------------------------------Vossen--------------------------------------

As always, international fixtures are difficult to predict, especially in this case, where both teams are quite evenly matched. But I think Belgium's momentum and crowd support will propel them to a hard-fought victory. I'm expecting Witsel and Kompany to shine, and Hazard to get an assist. 2-1 to Belgium. Yeah I know, I probably jinxed it.
Enjoy the match! (kickoff is at 8:45 pm, Brussels time)

Austria-Belgium Player Ratings

Two Axel Witsel strikes near the beginning of each half gave Belgium a well-deserved victory over a listless Austrian team. While Belgium was by no means dominant, they took their chances and never looked nervous (well at least towards the end of the game). Georges Leekens went against conventional thinking, by benching Eden Hazard, but in the end it payed off. So now on to the ratings:

Simon Mignolet, 7.5: A very solid debut for the young Sunderland keeper. He made one smart save on Janko, preventing an equalizing goal. Quite good in the air and his calmness was a welcome sight. He didn't clear a ball far enough on one corner, but no harm done. If he can stay in goal for his club, then I believe we have found our undisputed starter at the position.

Laurent Ciman, 5.5: In the first 30 minutes of the game, Ciman looked like a calamity waiting to happen, as he kept clearing balls into opposing players. He didn't look at all as though he belonged. But then, he started to settle, and lo and behold, he didn't give Arnautovic a sniff as the game wore on. He even gave an assist for the second goal. But, unfortunately, he's still just a stop-gap solution.

Daniel Van Buyten, 6: In all fairness to Van Buyten, he played a very good game overall, dominating the Austrians in the air, something we definitely missed in the home game. But he gave away Austria's biggest chance (with help from Ciman). If it wasn't for Mignolet, he'd be crucified in Belgium right now. If he could cut out the (near-)blunders, I don't think anyone would have a problem with him starting, since he adds such a great physical presence.

Vincent Kompany, 8: Vince the Prince is now King Kompany. Dominating in every sense of the word. He had little trouble with Janko, or the larger Maierhofer. His distribution was good and his classy manner of play reassures his teammates. Only negative was the yellow card he picked up, forcing him to miss the Azerbaijan game on Tuesday.

Jan Vertonghen, 7: A very good defensive game from the Ajax man. He kept his man quite all game. He had one chance on goal, but for the most part, he stayed back to confine the Austrian attack (which is logical seeing as Belgium grabbed the lead very early on).

Timmy Simons, 6.5: A solid performance. While he was nervy in the first 30 minutes, he calmed down and prevented any Austrian incursions through the centre. Doesn't have the attacking ability that Fellaini has, but his experience was vital in preventing the Austrians from coming back into the match.

Steven Defour, 6.5: A quiet game from the Standard-captain. Gave the assist for the first goal, and constantly harried any opposing player coming into the Belgian half. Not a brilliant performance, but a very useful one.

Axel Witsel, 8.5: A fantastic match for the young versatile, midfielder. He took his goals very well, but he also was so good at winning the ball in the air and ground. He was strong on the ball, and gave some great touches as well (the deft flick to the offside Ogunjimi stands out). I'm struggling to remember if even Fellaini has ever had as good a game with the Duivels as Witsel did last night. Man of the match, without a doubt.

Moussa Dembele, 6.5: Strong on the ball, and mindful of his defensive duties. Gave his defender a torrid time. But he lacked the final bit of incisiveness needed in the 16. Still can't fault his excellent work rate. Good choice by Leekens.

Nacer Chadli, 7: While he wasn't very dangerous, Chadli raided the left side quite well, holding the ball, and providing some good crosses. Defended well too (a running theme for this match). He got the nod over Hazard on the left, and to some extent justified it.

Marvin Ogunjimi, 6: No real threat on goal, but he constantly chased down balls, harried the defenders, and was just a general nuisance. A decent game, but I don't believe he's the answer to our lack of production from our strikers.

Kevin Mirallas, 5 (subbed off Ogunjimi in 80th minute): In his limited minutes, he looked quite good, showing some attacking bite.

All in all, it was a good showing by the Rode Duivels, with a mental fortitude that has been lacking recently. Next up is Azerbaijan, a must-win game (and a game that should be won comfortably). I think the Duivels will again win, with the same scoreline of 2-0, which should them back into a good position to qualify for the Euro Cup.

Austria-Belgium Euro Cup Qualifier Preview: Do or Die

On the 12th of October of last year, the Rode Duivels played one of their most memorable games in recent memory. A topsy-turvy 4-4 draw was played out in the Heizel Stadium, where a late Austrian goal snatched away 2 crucial points. In all fairness, that should have been the end of Belgium's qualifying campaign, but Turkey inexplicably only managed to Azerbaijan. With that result, Belgium remains in striking distance from the coveted 2nd place in the group. But to have any chance of it, a victory is needed in Vienna this coming Friday.

The injury bug has decimated the Belgian squad with two vital players missing in Marouane Fellaini and Thomas Vermaelen. Both Nicholas Lombaerts and Bjorn Vleminckx are looking doubtful for this match, which is a shame, since both these players have been having outstanding seasons in Russia and Holland respectively. And Jonathan Legear, the man who tormented Austria in his first cap, will also be absent. That leaves Georges Leekens with some headaches. While Vermaelen has excellent cover in Vincent Kompany and Jan Vertonghen, there is no one on this squad who can do what Fellaini does. The only one who can possibly measure up is the versatile Axel Witsel, but he lacks Fellaini's ability to break-up opposing passes. If I know Leekens (well, going on his previous starting XIs), here's how I think Belgium will start the match:

----------------------------------------Proto---------------------------------------

Vanden Borre--------------Kompany------------Van Buyten-----------Vertonghen

-----------------------Defour-------------------------Simons----------------------

----------------------------------------Witsel--------------------------------------

-------------Hazard------------------------------------------------Chadli----------

---------------------------------------Lukaku-------------------------------------

That's just guess of course, but I have a feeling Proto will start due to his good form in Belgium. Antony Vanden Borre will likely beat out Toby Alderweireld for the right-back spot because in the last match, Arnautovic simply dominated the Ajax centre-back (even Leekens acknowledged it). While Vanden Borre has been inactive for awhile, he's likely the best option, especially when supported by his friend Kompany (though one could make the argument that Denis Odoi of Sint-Truiden is much more deserving of a selection). I understand most Belgium fans won't be thrilled to see Van Buyten back, but he's starting for Bayern Munich again (not saying much since Breno and Badstuber have been horrendous), and his aerial dominance will likely come in handy against the physically imposing Austrians. While I'm not a massive fan of Vertonghen playing left-back, he'll likely win out over Sebastien Pocognoli due to form, and his defensive ability. Unfortunately, Leekens didn't select Bart Buysse, who is starting at the left-back position for FC Twente. As well, the revelation of the season in the Jupiler League, Derick Katuku Tshimanga, a speedy wing-back, has just come back from injury, so unfortunately he was not considered for selection.

It's pretty much a given that Timmy Simons and Steven Defour will start the game against Austria. Simons has been having a good season with Nuremburg and it's well known that Leekens values his experience. Steven Defour's return from injury coincided with Standard Liege's and Axel Witsel's resurgence. His vision, tenacity and footballing intelligence make him an ideal central midfielder; Leekens will surely not overlook him. I expect Axel Witsel to fill a versatile, box-to-box role (something he did very well in the latest friendly against Finland), playing just ahead of Defour. That being said, it's well known that Leeken's admires the physical strength of Jelle Van Damme. Thus, it may be possible that the Standard trio of Van Damme, Witsel and Defour lineup in the midfield alongside Simons (Witsel on the right, Van Damme on the left). In this scenario, Leekens would be banking on a match where both flanks are well guarded, giving Austria little to work with. The shortcomings would be the obvious lack of midfield and wing creativity.

On the attacking side of things, the picture gets cloudy. In short, Belgium has a lot of good attacking players, but few good goal scorers. I expect Lukaku to play because he's looked very good in the last two friendlies (as an aside, I find that Lukaku plays much too rigidly with Anderlecht, but with Belgium, he drifts more to the flanks, giving him more freedom to operate and create). Obviously, Eden Hazard should be in the lineup (either as a winger, or with a free role), but we all know Leekens doesn't particularly like him. Still, it's hard to overlook the best player in Ligue 1. The last attacker, if Leekens opts for a three-man attack, is hard to predict since Moussa Dembele, Dries Mertens, Kevin Mirallas, and Nacer Chadli all can stake a reasonable claim to the position. Dembele and Mirallas are better second strikers than they are wingers. And Dries Mertens may be a little too similar to Hazard. So Chadli will likely win out over those three. But who the hell knows, Leekens may just decide to go with the Genk duo Jelle Vossen and Marvin Ogunjimi because of their chemistry (like he did in the first game against Austria).

All of this is speculation, but what I do know is that come Friday, 2,000 Belgian fans will be present in the Ernst Happel Stadium ready to cheer on les Diables Rouges. I think their long journey will have a happy ending, with Belgium surprising Austria to win 1-3. Let's hope I'm right.

0 of 2: A look back at the Turkish and German Qualifiers

Two painful loses have ushered in the Belgian' start to their qualifying campaign. A narrow home defeat against Germany, caused by Daniel Van Buyten's mistake, was the first match. Then, a wild 3-2 defeat in Turkey caused qualification hopes to take a tailspin. Tied 1-1 after Daniel Van Buyten redeemed himself with a header, Vincent Kompany made a silly challenge, giving him his second yellow card of the night. With the Rode Duivels down to 10 men, Turkey took advantage to score another goal (due to Jan Vertonghen's mistimed kick). Van Buyten provided some hope with his second of the night (another header), but then Turkey scored another goal, ten minutes before full-time. So that leaves the Duivels with no points and with second place (Turkey) 6 points ahead they find themselves in a precarious position. Group A's standings paint a bleak picture, but there are somethings to remain positive about.

Firstly, from a defensive standpoint, except for a few moments of idiocy, Belgium looked pretty solid. With four high-quality centre backs in defense (Vermaelen and Alderweireld on the flanks), both Germany and Turkey couldn't really break down Belgium. The back-line was also covered by the gritty midfield, helping matter from an organisational standpoint. So how can Belgium avoid the dumb mistakes? Well to be honest, the fault is likely due to two things. The first is that the back-line had never played together (well at least all four of those players together), so Georges Leekens should pick a back line and allow them to grow together. Secondly, Van Buyten and Kompany (the two players who made the crucial mistakes in each respective match), have never really looked secure playing together. Usually one central defender is rather flamboyant while his partner is sober and no-nonsense. Unfortunately, both Kompany and Van Buyten fall into the first category. Nicholas Lombaerts and (to some extent) Thomas Vermaelen can be placed in the second group. With Kompany suspended for the next match, and Lombaerts likely back from injury, we may get a look at a slightly less imposing Belgian defense, but also one that is less gaffe-prone.

Against Germany (where Belgium played better in my opinion), a 4-3-3 was used, with Dembele on the right flank. This worked well, since whenever Toby Alderweireld was in trouble, he could pass the ball to the available Dembele (who can protect and move forward easily with the ball at his feet). Eden Hazard wasn't as involved as hoped, but he did draw the German defense apart, giving Dembele room to operate. Timmy Simons lost track of Ozil once or twice, but he was mostly solid. Vertonghen and Fellaini were excellent as always. Lukaku always weighed on the German defense, but he's still too inexperienced to capitalize on the mistakes of the opposition (contrast that with the opportunistic Wesley Sonck).

Against Turkey, Leekens opted for a 4-4-2 diamond formation with Guillaume Gillet replacing the slightly unfit Eden Hazard (who was able to make a cameo at the end of the match). Alderweireld had his hands full with the excellent Arda, and he handled him well enough until the mistake which led to the first Turkish goal. Vermaelen wasn't brilliant at left-back, but he was decent enough. Van Buyten was excellent and Kompany was also fine for the most part, except his foolish rash challenges which had him sent off and doomed Belgium. While the midfield trio of Fellaini, Vertonghen and to some extent Simons, were good, Gillet looked a little too flat for the international game. While he tried hard, he didn't give Belgium a good enough attacking presence on the right. It was evident that with four central defenders at the back, a diamond midfield is too compact, leaving gaps on the flanks and room for the opposing wingers and fullbacks to run. The 4-3-3 is better in this respect in that the attacking flank players (Hazard and Dembele) can clog the the sides of the pitch, making it harder for the opposition to attack via the flank. It also puts less pressure on Alderweireld and Vermaelen to run-up from their positions in the defense. Finally, with two wingers and one striker, there is more room for each to work in as the opposing defense is spread out more (which explains why both Lukaku and Dembele had a good game against Germany, but performed poorly in Istanbul).

Finally, I must note that in each game, after a good first half, Belgium came out flat in the second half. This may be due to Loew and Hiddink's halftime speeches or their substitutions (both made one sub at half), but either way, Leekens needs to be proactive and counteract this, possibly subbing out a player performing poorly or just changing the tactics slightly. In any case, Leekens has brought a great sense of unity to this team and also has them playing with heart and organization. If the errors can be cut out and the attacking players start to score, Belgium may be able to go on a roll. Happily, our two hardest games have been played already, so that is also a positive.

Until the next game!

Match Preview: Belgium-Germany

And so it begins. The much anticipated start of Belgium's Euro 2012 qualifying campaign. After so much losing and misery, it's high time for some performance on the field. And what a way to kick it off; a young German team fresh off a brilliant World Cup run is Belgium's first opponent. Missing some key players due to injury (Michael Ballack, Jerome Boateng and Arne Friederich), Die Mannschaft is still a force to be reckoned with. Awaiting them is a Belgian side, likewise without several important players like Jonathan Legear, Jelle Van Damme, Nicholas Lombaerts and Mehdi Carcela, who opted to play for Morroco instead. The venue will be a sold-out Heysel Stadium in Brussels, seating 50,000 supporters.

From what I have been hearing from different sources, Belgium will lineup with a very defensive 4-3-3 formation. The following players are expected to start:

-------------------------------Bailly----------------------------

Alderweireld-------Van Buyten------Kompany-------Vermaelen

----------------Simons-----------------Vertonghen-------------

-------------------------------Fellaini---------------------------

----------Dembele--------------------------------------------

----------------------------------------------Hazard----------

----------------------------Lukaku---------------------------

Germany is likely to play a 4-2-3-1, with particular emphasis on the attack. Here's how we can expect them to lineup:

-------------------------Neuer---------------------------

Lahm------Mertesacker-------Westermann--------Jansen

------------Khedira--------------Schweinstiger-----------

---Muller---------------Ozil-------------------Podolski---

------------------------Klose------------------------------

One might notice that Belgium's flanks are being defended, on both sides, by natural centre-backs. Toby Alderweireld and Thomas Vermaelen may have trouble getting adjusted to their surroundings, but luckily their tactical task is mainly on the defensive side. With Alderweireld manning the mercurial Podolski, and Vermaelen on the extremely talented and quick Muller, it can't be expected that either will bomb forward on attacks. Still, Vermaelen is an excellent header of the ball on both ends of the field, and Alderweireld has a pinpoint right-footed long ball, so neither will be completely useless on the attacking end of things. The most important thing for both players is to stay wide when Germany counters, otherwise both of Germany's wingers will have way too much space to operate.

Vincent Kompany and Daniel Van Buyten will have to deal with Miroslav Klose, the cunning Bayern striker. While not the most talented forward, Klose can score with ease when given proper service. I believe Kompany, the faster of the two defenders, will man-mark Klose more often, though the aerial strength of Van Buyten will come in handy, since Klose can easily score with his head. Still, with the defensively-strong Alderweireld and Vermaelen marking Podolski and Muller, Georges Leekens must be hoping that the number of quality balls served to Klose will be kept to a minimum.

In the midfield, Leekens seems likely to give Timmy Simons the surprising start alongside Belgium's pitbull, Jan Vertonghen. Again, both have played centre-back for the majority of their careers. I assume both to keep an eye on Mesut Ozil, the German's number 10, but the faster and grittier Vertonghen will probably be the one to man-mark him on most occasions. If they can throw Ozil off his game, Germany may have some problem with creating chances. I also expect both of them to help out on their respective flank when either Jansen or Lahm move forward. Neither has much of an offensive game (besides Vertonghen's long range left-footed shot) so expect them to remain behind the German midfield for most of their time on the pitch.

On the attacking side of things, Marouane Fellaini and Moussa Dembele will try to keep the pair of Schweinstiger and Khedira occupied. Strong with the ball at his feet and quite adept at moving around the pitch, Dembele will probably marked by the more defensive Sami Khedira. It's hard to predict the outcome of such a match-up because though Khedira is very skilled at winning the ball back, Dembele has embarrassed players better with his movements on the pitch with the ball. Belgium may have a chance at winning this battle if they can get the ball to Dembele's feet. He simply doesn't have the ability to defeat Khedira in the air. Two of the world's best box-to-box midfielders in Schweinstiger and Fellaini will face off against each other in what will likely be the most fascinating match-up of the day. Technically gifted and very fast, Schweinstiger is a complete footballer, who can defend as well as he can attack. Fellaini's advantage lies on the aerial side. Tall and rugged, he steps up his game when facing a excellent opponent. Fellaini also happens to have a great deal of stamina and combined with his long strides it sometimes appears he is everywhere on the pitch at once. I have a hard time predicting which player will come out on top (Schweinstiger is obviously more accomplished), though I do expect Fellaini to play more defensively than Schweinstiger (but he will be crucial on the Belgian counterattacks).

Finally we come to Belgium's front men (or should I say front boys). Eden Hazard and Romelu Lukaku in particular will be in for a tough day. Realistically, I can't see either getting too much in way of service. If they want luck, they will likely have to force it out for themselves. According to the media, Eden Hazard will show up on either flank to support Lukaku and in all honesty, this could a masterstroke by Leekens. Both Marcel Jansen and Philipp Lahm play as wing-backs. If Germany commit either fullbacks forward at any time (which seems likely), Hazard could get behind either of them and he will have acres to space either to cross or run at the German central defense. That said, for at least some of the time, Hazard will likely have to help contain runs by either fullbacks, with help from Dembele and the Belgian midfield. Luckily, Hazard is surprisingly good at defending due to his tenacious nature and quick, coordinated feet. Romelu Lukaku will have a tough task on his hands, trying to battle Westermann and Mertesacker for any spare ball that makes it his way. Out of form for Anderlecht, Lukaku will probably struggle, but if he does get a chance, he needs to convert it, because he probably won't see too many on the day. The best way for Lukaku to get involved in the game would be to move around and draw the defenders out of position. This would leave them vulnerable to a quick Belgian counter, and because Lukaku has great pace and finishing ability, a goal may be created in such a fashion.

It's not easy to prognosticate the result of this game because I'm not sure how the Belgian players will play under these daunting conditions, but I suspect due to the defensive nature of the Rode Duivels, there won't be too many goals on either side. I do think Germany will get a goal sometime in the game and a resulting overreaction by the Belgian players to this will lead to another. Therefore I'm going to predict a 0-2 scoreline. I really hope I'm wrong.

Enjoy the match (it's at Friday, 8:45 p.m. Brussels time, so get your popcorn ready)

Belgian Selection for the German Qualifier

Earlier today, Georges Leekens released his selection for the qualifying matches against Germany and Turkey. Here are the names:

Goalkeeper: Logan Bailly (Borussia Monchengladbach/GER), Jean-Francois Gillet (Bari/ITA), Silvio Proto (Anderlecht).

Defenders: Toby Alderweireld (Ajax/NED), Laurent Ciman (Standard Liege), Olivier Deschacht (Anderlecht), Guillaume Gillet (Anderlecht), Vincent Kompany (Manchester City/ENG), Nicolas Lombaerts (Zenit/RUS), Daniel Van Buyten (Bayern Munich/GER), Jelle Van Damme (Wolverhampton/ENG), Thomas Vermaelen (Arsenal/ENG).

Midfielders: Kevin De Bruyne (RC Genk), Mehdi Carcela (Standard Liege), Steven Defour (Standard Liege), Marouane Fellaini (Everton/ENG), Jonathan Legear (Anderlecht), Timmy Simons (Nuremberg/GER), Jan Vertonghen (Ajax/NED), Axel Witsel (Standard Liege).

Forwards: Christian Benteke (Standard Liege), Eden Hazard (Lille/FRA), Romelu Lukaku (Anderlecht), Kevin Mirallas (Olympiakos/GRE), Jelle Vossen (RC Genk)

This marks the triumphant return of Timmy Simons to the national team, after being ignominiously dropped by Dick Advocaat. Leekens said he added Simons to the squad for his experience, which makes sense considering how young the rest of the team is. Van Buyten is back from injury, though question marks abound about the fitness of Lombaerts, Legear and Van Damme.

Conspicuous by his absence is Dries Mertens, FC Utrecht's creative midfielder. Leekens has stated that he hasn't called upon Mertens because of the abundance of attacking flank players, though one wonders why De Bruyne is being chosen ahead of the more experienced and proven Mertens (De Bruyne seems to have more potential to be fair and has being playing extremely well with a resurgent KRC Genk).

Right-back remains a problem with the defensively poor Guillaume Gillet looking to battle Laurent Ciman and possibly Toby Aldeweireld for the chance to defend Bastian Schweinsteiger (Vincent Kompany has been mentioned as a possibility there as well, but he was pretty poor as a right-back against Estonia a few years back).

Finally, Jelle Vossen, the current topscorer of the Belgian competition has been called up. Technically very good, Vossen has very nice skill set for the domestic level, but I'm not sure if it will translate to the international game. He'll try to wrest control of the central foward role from Romelu Lukaku, who started to look his normal self after he scored a slightly lucky goal against Partizan Belgrade and Christian Benteke, the young Standard-man (who apparently can score a difficult goal in match against Real Madrid, yet against Sint-Truiden squanders four great chances).

I'll preview the individual games in greater detail, with emphasis on the specific opponents closer to the match dates (Germany is on September 3rd and Turkey is four days later on the 7th). The excitement is palpable!

p.s. Belgium has a new jersey, made by Swiss company Burrda. While it's nowhere near as nice as their previous kit (Nike-produced), it looks kind of like the Belgium jerseys of the 90s and 80s. Let's hope the results follow.

Finland vs Belgium: Recap and Player Ratings

Oh man that was bad.
If I wasn't a rabid fan of the Rode Duivels, I'd have stopped watching after half-time. A low-intensity, poorly contested match, Belgium went down meekly to an average Finland 1-0. The only goal of the game resulted from a big deflection off of Vincent Kompany in the first half. It was quite similar to the goal Belgium conceded against Bulgaria in their last match: a counter attack on the right flank was cut back to the striker just inside the Belgian 16. The Finn struck the ball against Kompany and this left Logan Bailly flat-footed. There really isn't much to discuss in terms of noticeable events so on to the ratings.

Logan Bailly, 4: Very slow to react to the deflection and way too many nervy moments, even though Finland rarely threatened. Very disappointing and I'm pretty sure he won't be lining up against Germany in 3 weeks time.

Guillaume Gillet, 3: He was likely the worst player on the field today, but since we have no other rightbacks, there was no alternative. He got beat on the defensive end way too often and he left much too much room behind him. On the attacking end, he added little besides a couple of wayward volleys.

Vincent Kompany, 5: Too casual in the first half and didn't look his quality self today. He did give a nice ball to Benteke for Belgium's best chance in the game.

Thomas Vermaelen, 6: An okay outing. Never looked too troubled by Finland's attack and by the end of the game he was Belgium's most attacking player with a lot of forays into the opposing half. That does seem like a role more suited to full back than a centre back though. You can see where I'm going with this.

Nicholas Lombaerts, 4: Never looked comfortable at left back. He was reluctant to go forward and when defending he stayed too close to the middle, giving the Finnish wingers too much space. Subbed at the half.

Jan Vertonghen, 5: Pretty invisible (which isn't too bad for a defensive midfielder). Had a rocket of a shot saved at the end of the first half.

Axel Witsel, 3: Everything he tried, just didn't work. No lack of effort, but that doesn't win football matches. He seemed like he was unfamiliar with his teammates and his position.

Jelle Van Damme, 4: At one point in the first half he was playing as a forward. Not really his position. Didn't do much of anything really. Don't count on him starting against Germany.

Kevin De Bruyne, 6: Had some nice crosses, but he just didn't receive the ball enough from his teammates. Still, it was a promising debut and a lone bright spot for Belgium.

Eden Hazard, 6: Best player on the field for Belgium, but that isn't saying much. He kept the ball in his possesion for more than needed and his crosses weren't great. But his attacking threat was the most noticeable of the entire team.

Christian Benteke, 4: His poor rating is partly due the atrocious service provided by midfield. But he wasn't great either, with poor touches and bad positioning. May need a couple of years to mature before being ready as an international.

Normally I'd give the subs a rating, but they didn't really add anything to the team. Pocognoli, a true left back, was better than the misplaced Lombaerts, but it had little effect on the game. The second half was a little better in terms of defending the counter, but that was more likely a result of the change in formation from a 4-3-3 to a 4-4-2. Georges Leekens has a lot to figure out in the coming weeks, because this was just not good enough from any standpoint.

On a positive note, Belgium's under-21 team beat the French in an important qualifier, 1-0, so well done to them.