THE HEAT MAP - Day 30: Hollywood Panache and the Belgian Redux
World Cup Dispatches that won’t let you down.
The weekend lands with an absolute bang as the second quarter-final takes center stage, trading the East Coast grit of Boston for the pure, unadulterated glamour of California Dreamin’.
Tonight at 8pm (Irish time), it is a European blockbuster in Los Angeles as tournament favourites Spain face a rejuvenated Belgium. The Spanish side are playing with a terrifying level of confidence right now; their 1-0 tactical masterclass over Portugal showcased an Iberian panache that makes them look almost entirely untouchable when their passing carousels click into gear. The inside word from the Spanish camp is one of relaxed supremacy, though privately their analysts are warning about Belgium’s sudden, unexpected upturn in form that is happening at just the right time.
Belgium arrived at the SoFi Stadium with their tales up. Perhaps inspired by red card skullduggery that - allegedly - went all the way up to The White House, the Belgians suddenly remembered they were a term stuffed full of brilliant footballers. Just when the world assumed the sun had permanently set on their golden generation, they went into Seattle and ruthlessly put four goals past the co-hosts USA in that 4-1 demolition. Charles De Ketelaere and Romelu Lukaku are playing with a serious point to prove, and their raw, direct transitional power is precisely the type of counter-attacking poison that can unnerve Spain's high defensive line. If the Belgians can survive the initial wave of Spanish possession and turn this into a physical, end-to-end scrap under the bright Hollywood lights, an absolute upset is firmly on the cards.
Day 30: Hollywood Panache and the Belgian Redux
Whatever happens on that pitch, The Heat Map won’t let you down.
