With the world behind it, Belgium beat the United States on Monday in the round of 16 at the World Cup. And football is a better sport for it.
Plenty of ink has flowed over Folarin Balogun's red card and suspension. And no matter your stance on whether the card was justified, the saga leading up to the game damaged football's reputation.
Backroom politics, lying ambassadors, sabotaged appeals, and the threat of a lengthy legal process are not the drama and suspense fans want around a World Cup.
But Belgium won, and we all can move on with our lives. Next up is Spain.
The opening ceremony for the match between the USA and Belgium. Credit: Belga/Dirk Waem
The Wonderkid
What can Belgium expect tonight from the Spanish national side? In their first game, the defending European champions dominated Cape Verde in every metric existing in modern football. Possession (74%), pass accuracy (92%), and expected goals (2.10) – all indicated a comfortable victory for La Roja.
But Spain's dominance was fruitless. They struggled to find a way to break open a game that remained locked until the final whistle.
Spanish media called it the return of the ghost of the old Spain. The lateral passes of the old Tiki-Taka. Prioritising the system over results. Flashbacks of humiliating losses against Russia and Morocco at past events haunted a nation.
If you had to find one silver lining in the uninspiring draw, it would be the return of Lamine Yamal. The Barcelona superstar had not played a game since April, when a torn hamstring ended his season and threatened to keep him on the sidelines for the World Cup.
As Spain bounced back to find form with wins over Saudi-Arabia, Uruguay and Austria, Yamal picked up playing time in search of consistency. While he has not been in the conversation for player of the tournament, the only 18-year-old winger has become better with each round.
Belgian fans celebrate during the game between Belgium and Senegal. Credit: Belga/Bruno Fahy
Iberian champions
In the round of eight, Spain took on their Iberian neighbours Portugal in what should have been the game of the tournament thus far. Both were considered serious contenders heading into the event.
But the match disappointed. While the first half proved competitive, with both sides having chances to take the lead, the second amounted to nothing.
Rather than risk losing, both teams seemed happy to let time run out.
However, Portugal was caught off guard by a free kick deep into extra time, leading Mikel Merino to score the winning goal.
What does all of this mean for Belgium's chances to make it to the semifinals? Well, Red Devils are going into the Spain clash as underdogs. The Spanish haven't conceded a single goal away, have a superstar ready to explode, and, if you believe in superstition, are destined to win the World Cup.
Remember 2010? Before winning the Vuvuzela-infused World Cup in South Africa, which they won, Spain had a disappointing opening round, losing to Switzerland 1-0. It is also the first time since 2010 that Spain has reached the quarter-finals at a World Cup.
Spain and Belgium will play on Friday, July 10, at 21:00 (Brussels time) at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.
