Belgium coach says everyone expects Spain to win

Coach Rudi Garcia said “everyone” thinks his Belgium team will lose to Spain in Friday’s World Cup quarter-final. But he believes his players can achieve a great upset.

European champions Spain come into the match in Los Angeles as clear favorites. They have not let in a single goal during the tournament.

Belgium has had a harder path, finishing their group with two draws against Egypt and Iran. They also needed a last-minute comeback to beat Senegal.

At a press conference on Thursday, Garcia seemed to enjoy being called the “underdog.”

“Everyone is already talking about us going home. But we think that we can do it,” he said.

“We think we can pull it off, and we’re going to do everything we can to get to the semis.”

Belgium found their rhythm in Monday’s round-of-16 match, beating the United States 4-1 and ending the hopes of the World Cup co-hosts.

Garcia highlighted that Belgium is among the tournament’s top scorers, with 13 goals. Only France and Argentina have scored more. The Belgians’ 107 shots are second to France, who have played one more game.

When asked if he was worried that a mostly American crowd in Los Angeles might be hostile because of Belgium’s win over the US, Garcia said it was the least of his worries.

“We just beat the US, obviously, and again at a stadium where everyone was against us. So I don’t think the conditions will be any more difficult tomorrow,” he said.

He added: “It’s not the fans that score the goals. We’re going to focus on what we can do. We’ve got enough on our plate with the Spanish squad that is a wonderful footballing team.

“And even if we’re the underdog for tomorrow, we’re going to do everything we can to give them a run for their money.”

Belgium’s experienced striker Romelu Lukaku agreed with his manager. He told journalists that “if you manage to get this far, then you’re not going to play a game just to go home.”

“I think we also have the necessary talent. Tomorrow we need to play the perfect game,” Lukaku said.