‘SHOCKINGLY BAD!’ 😱🇧🇪 Why didn’t Belgium try to avoid France? | ESPN FC

The ESPN FC Live crew react to Ukraine & Belgium’s goalless draw in Group E of Euro 2024, that eliminates Ukraine and sends Belgium into a tough round of 16 clash with France.
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[@ethancoster1324]

The fact is that none of these "top teams", with the exception of Germany/Spain, have been clinical enough. The number of missed chances and own goals is a testament to this. The standard of this tournament so far has been substandard.

[@omarlawrence9818]

The players are tired mate and it's only going to get worse with the extension of the World Cup and the Champions League this upcoming season. The players are playing too much games

[@nhlanhlamahlangu2895]

​@@omarlawrence9818chances are there but missed in this Euro same thing in Copa America there's general lack of no. 9's across the globe which contributes to substandard finishing.

[@omarlawrence9818]

@nhlanhlamahlangu2895 there is little to no chances been created mate

[@adtastic1533]

@@omarlawrence9818 Watch teams like Brazil, Argentina, Spain, Germany or Uruguay. Even Belgium vs Romania. Plenty chances created. Not clinical enough in the box.

[@koopalibrary]

England somehow stumbled upon the weak bracket side again . Luckiest team in the last 4 tournaments.

[@KLHK1981]

You forgot they sent packing by iceland in 2016 ? There is no weak opponent from knock out stage onwards. As no team want to play in penalty

[@koopalibrary]

@@KLHK1981 nah they been having it easy.

[@danielainger8666]

Even if they do go through they will likely play Italy next round who they won’t beat.

[@stephenmcculloch7192]

Luckiest team in last 4 tournaments but still not won any of them 😅

[@hyoroemongaming569]

​@@stephenmcculloch7192keep blaming southgate even though he is the best England manager for half Century. Hater

[@BIGBEN9999999]

I thought the Netherlands, England and France were awful to watch. Well: we managed to underperform them yesterday!

[@jimmyyue238]

Netherlands already got a walk-over to semifinal and England-Italy quarterfinal already going to happen.

[@ma-ta_in_tinerete]

@@jimmyyue238 do they now? I'll come back to this comment after Romania - Netherlands, see how you feeling then

[@majestyofrock2702]

I think the majority of these players across most of teams look gassed from what was already a long season.

[@Mr.Josh.]

I thought the exact same. None of these players in either tournament are fully fresh. They would prefer poor quality with lot's of quantity before anything else. It's all money money money. These players need to rest at least a month or more before starting the season or tournaments. The result is many injuries and poor effort games

[@runrafarunthebestintheworld]

​@@Mr.Josh.Yep not even Portugal is looking good either.

[@nhlanhlamahlangu2895]

Lack of no. 9's all across the world. You can give them 1 year holiday still Lukaku will remain Lukaku his not going to transform to a F. Torres/Del Piero 😂😂

[@jaybe2908]

@@nhlanhlamahlangu2895 But Lukaku can have one game where he will score 3 against any opponent

[@nhlanhlamahlangu2895]

@@jaybe2908 that's the thing they all want tap-ins. We miss the Van Persie/S. Eto/Drogba type of strikers

[@omarlawrence9818]

The players are tired. It's not just Belgium 🇧🇪 that isn't playing well England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿, France 🇫🇷, Italy 🇮🇹 and Germany 🇩🇪 in the last game its only Spain 🇪🇸 that looks any good of a team in this tournament

[@stephonlutchman6820]

Germany looks great also, Switzerland is no push over because the last two tournaments they went through unveaten in the group stage, including Brasil and Italy in their groups, also they knocked a good French team out of the Euros last time and Spain only beat them on penalties to reach semi final

[@lexkanyima2195]

It is not about physicality

[@kelvinsoo9456]

Ukraine is not the first team in Euro finals to be knocked out in group stage on 4 points. Scotland got that distinguished honor losing to Holland on goal difference on 4 points in 1996.

[@orkhanimanov1584]

Also Denmark and Italy in 1996 had 4 points. So I guess they mean 24 teams format.

[@jimmyyue238]

However, Ukraine is the first team in Euro finals to finish last place in group stage with 4 points.

[@simonstewart5277]

Sound quality is terrible here. Not worth finishing

[@BahamutDr7gon777-dz6vf]

Im sure teams are doing this on purpose nowadays, play lazy against the lower ranked teams even though they are supposed to win by 6-0 or more then just somehow scrape through the big games against the higher ranked teams

[@orkhanimanov1584]

Guys, it is first time with 24 teams that 4 point team did not progress, but not in the history of Euros. In 1996 Italy and Denmark also remained in the group with 4 points. So it is not first time...

[@arroe8386]

well, it's pretty obvious that there have been teams that didn't progress with 4 points when only the first two advanced

[@ethancoster1324]

Austria/Turkey or Romania are almost guaranteed a semi final position?!!😅

[@dynasty201]

Austria win it upon bolstering a gatorate double engine power& dynamic rocket hit style of play so capable of flipping rest of the brackets😅😅 how about this package satisfy our dream

[@jimmyyue238]

Netherlands clearly

[@BerreD79]

lol, how dramatic. Was it really that ‘shockingly bad’ over 3 matches? I saw one Ok match (but unlucky to lose), one good match and one bad (too conservative, but al least not totally naive)We will see against France I suppose. Football pundits have very short memories. Do they do it on purpose? One good performance and all is fantastic again.. it always has been that way.

[@lambi27]

Spot on. Let the talking heads talk...

[@BahamutDr7gon777-dz6vf]

Who were worse in their final game comment England or Belgium

[@stephonlutchman6820]

Why should they avoid France, France is good but is not someone to be feared, Jules and Frank are a bit bias because France has been terrible and i don't see the need to avoid them

[@Markus-uc5jq]

France against Belgium... looks like distress against misery. What will this starstruck round say, if f.e. Austria would win the Euros? Maybe the distance gets a little less between the teams?

[@adtastic1533]

I have to say both the Euros and the Copa have been underwhelming. Plenty top teams playing like outright garbage.

[@stampedmetalsword8099]

Why avoid France? Both Belgium and France are playing trash.

[@bluesEvanskro]

Hopefully that means some penno drama then

[@theproperenglishman]

It’s got nil nil and penalties written all over it

[@runrafarunthebestintheworld]

France can finish Belgium quick though if they make defensive mistakes.

[@jimmyyue238]

France 1-0 Belgium written, as well as France 1-0 Portugal France 1-0 (Germany or Spain) France 1-0 (Netherlands, Italy or England)

[@moafishing5654]

Romania national team has the lowest worth team on paper from all the other teams from this euro. 90 million euros. Despite that, we qualified unbeaten and now we won the First place in group against teams 5 and almost 10 times worthy than us. Shame on the other teams for this. Proud to be romanian. Holland, on tuesday we will change the orange in yellow.

[@kelvinlau09]

Only teams to avoid are Germany and Spain, France? nag.