Belgium head coach Rudi Garcia has hit back at the “ugly” criticism of his team after Friday’s 5-1 victory over New Zealand, insisting their World Cup campaign is starting to gain momentum.
The Red Devils clinched their first victory of this summer’s tournament in Vancouver, having drawn their first two games against Egypt and Iran. The result is enough to see Belgium progress to the round of 32 as Group G winners, however Garcia took the opportunity to address some of the negativity that has been directed towards his side in the last few weeks.
“I trust all my players, and my leaders too,” Garcia told Belgian broadcaster RTBF after the game. “They’ve been heavily criticised and I think that’s ugly. They’ve shown on the field that they are immense players and all Belgians should be proud to have players like them.
“There’s only one place where we can respond, and that’s on the pitch. We were efficient, which is the big difference compared to the match against Iran. Scoring goals changes everything . We had the good sense to win by at least three goals. All the matches in this group were close. We finished first in the group, we’re staying in Seattle. I don’t know if that’s a good thing. It doesn’t matter, the main thing is to be in the round of 32. We can’t say that our World Cup has started, but I hope it will now pick up speed
Belgium had four different goalscorers against New Zealand, including Leandro Trossard, who netted a brace. The Arsenal forward has been one of the most scrutinised Belgian players at the tournament but Garcia was full of praise for his display on Friday night.
“I know he’s not very popular in the national team, but he responded on the pitch,” Garcia said. “He’s been the best Belgian player since the start of the tournament. I asked him to be more decisive, to take more chances in front of goal. He knows how to do that, and he proved it in this match. Overall, we thank everyone who supported the team. We want to play for those who are proud to support the Red Devils.”
– Report: Belgium clinch knockout spot as New Zealand exit World Cup
