5 talking points as Belgium trounce hard-fought Panama

by Intern June 19, 2018

Belgium, after a sloppy first half, displayed what they are capable of

Image result for Escobar and Torres against Belgium

Courtesy – Zimbio

In what was an action-packed event, Belgium trounced World Cup debutants Panama to secure a comfortable 3-0 victory. Panama held off the star-studded Belgium squad in the first half, but the latter decided to turn up in the second half, and conquered the Central American side.

Mertens scored a wondrous goal to put Belgium up front and was followed by Lukaku’s brace, which ultimately put Panama to the sword. Panama, regardless of the result, played with their hearts out and deserved to get respect, if not points.

FootballCounter tabulates the major talking points of this enthralling game.

Panama, regardless of the result, deserve respect

They were the World Cup debutants. They were playing on this grandest stage for the first ever time. They were clubbed in a group that consisted of two of Europe’s behemoths. And, today, they played against Belgium, who are billed as hot favourites to clinch the trophy.

Yet, they showed no signs of any fear. Instead, they decided to put, all they have, against Belgium. Their opponents had the best players in the world, players who play for Manchester United and Manchester City and some other biggest European clubs. But, that didn’t matter for Panama.

They defended resolutely, stood strong and sturdy against Belgium attacks that had all the ingredients to cause destructive impacts. They thwarted Romelu Lukaku’s movements, Eden Hazard’s attacks, De Bruyne’s magic.

Though they ultimately fell down in the second half, they left something for their fans to enjoy, to take pride in, to inspire their generations to come.

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