Belgium and England will hope to put their semi-final disappointments behind and battle it out for the only price at stake for them at this stage.

It is an open secret that interest in the third-place play-off is almost non-existent and is widely attention deficient. More often than not it comes around while fans are yet to fully recover from the heartbreak of their teams failing to make that final step forward. For some players, these games emerge while they are still mulling over what they should have done better, a chance they should have converted, among others.

The sentiment might have been as such in the camps of both Belgium and England. Heading into their respective games, hopes were high but, at the end, the former could only blame France for playing "anti-football" after all their hard work was undone by a lone goal while the latter could just not hang on in extra-time against the experienced Croats. To some, the desire to secure the bigger price has been lost and the commensuration is simply not enough. Well, is it?

Half a loaf is better than none, they say and while FIFA will inevitably rack up the big bucks from the revenue generated from ticket sales, TV rights, sponsorships, etc., both Belgium and England will have one last shot at lighting up the gloomy expressions on the faces of their aficionados. It may not be enough but it should count for something.

 

Информация о матче, результат и информация о трансляции

Бельгия 2 - 0 Англия

июля 14, 2018 10:00Saint-Petersburg Stadium (Sankt-Peterburg (St. Petersburg))

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It's gratitude for another chance to restore a bit of pride and it's arguably a better consolation and less heartbreaking than going to the final and only getting beat. In recent years, many teams have found a bit of joy and solace in playing for pride even after losing out on becoming the real deal. Germany did it in their own backyard in 2006, Uruguay at South Africa 2010 and the Netherlands in 2014.

The argument of the third-place play-off being cruel may be justified in a sense but on the flip side, it could go a long way to help a team's mentality. Taking the Die Mannschaft as a case study, the disappointment suffered in 2006 provided just the right blueprint for them to go further and win the previous tournament in Brazil after suffering another disappointment at the 2010 edition. 

In that regard, it will do both Belgium and England more good than harm if they consider utilizing the opportunity; especially with Euro 2020 just around the corner. The former still has a lot of youngsters in their "Golden Generation" and could build great momentum from the third-place play-offs and beyond.

For many English fans football was supposed to "come home this summer" but the fact that it couldn't is not exactly the end of the world. There is certainly a lot of potential in the side and looking at how things have panned out under Gareth Southgate so far, there could be a lot of good in store in the near future.

Once upon a time some people "needed" the Three Lions to lose against Belgium at the group stage in order to get a relatively easier route to the final. However, it is different this time around. The stakes may not be what the players had in mind but it is required of them as good role models to fight and scrap for the least recognition there is.

The truth is, there will be no point playing badly and finishing fourth when third place is there for the taking. Also, They may as well consider playing for Harry Kane with the possibilty of him winning the Golden Boot really high.

 

Информация о матче, результат и информация о трансляции

Бельгия 2 - 0 Англия

июля 14, 2018 10:00Saint-Petersburg Stadium (Sankt-Peterburg (St. Petersburg))

Матч завершён. Ниже подробная информация об оригинальной прямой трансляции этой игры.

Прямые теле- и онлайн-трансляции (United States)

FOX Network
fuboTV
Sling
Telemundo
Bally Sports
Telemundo Deportes En Vivo
Futbol de Primera Radio
SiriusXM FC