Friday night is that new nations are coming to the table, developing players and systems to beat the so-called old guard.
Belgium out-thought and out-played Brazil for 75 minutes of a quite breathless quarter final - delivering such an impeccable display of counter-attacking football that Tite’s side could not, despite everything, find a way back. The Brazilian team walked into the place with regulation green back-packs, looking like a group on some kind of commando mission, though things didn’t start well. Marcelo got lost on his way to the dressing room. Casemiro was denied entry to the stadium because he had forgotten his accreditation. The effect was very similar out on the pitch.
They began well enough, exposing a weakness to the set-piece for which Belgium looked like they might pay a very heavy price. The game wasn’t even ten minutes old when Miranda flicked on a corner from Neymar and Thiago Silva directed it onto the left upright with his right knee and Paulinho, unmarked, received another corner but could not find any power.
But Belgium were set up to deal with that lethal axis formed by Neymar, Philippe Coutinho and the overlapping Marcelo down Brazil’s right, which flickered intermittently into life in the game’s first 15 minutes. The usual back three became a four as soon as they fell out of possession, with Thomas Meunier dropping back. As Martinez’s players found composure, so they located the counter-attacking weapon they come here intent on releasing.
The suspension of Casemiro - the granite-like presence in front of the Brazilian defence - had seemed beforehand to create a chink of light for the Belgians. That was certainly how it transpired as the breathtaking pace and vision of Kevin de Bruyne, with Romelu Lukaku and, gradually, Eden Hazard, blew a hole through heart of their side.Brazil’s Tite went all out for salvation and to turn back the weight of history. Never, on 130 previous occasions of a team being two goals down at half-time in a World Cup match, had that team come back to win. Liverpool’s Roberto Firmino was sent into a 4-2-4 formation.
Belgium did not yield, though there was an element of fortune in that. Brazil seemed justified in their demands for a penalty after Jesus nutmegged Vertonghen and seemed to be clattered by Kompany. VAR ruled that the ball had already run out of play. Jesus made way for Douglas Costa on the hour but Thibaut Courtois leapt to save to his right from him, too.
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