fifaworldcup.com
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All the numbers on Brazil and Belgium
At first glance, Belgium versus Brazil has all the makings of a David and Goliath mismatch. A search on Yahoo.com for web site entries for each side's best-known player bears this theory out. Type in Ronaldo and 253,000 entries appear, whilst a search on Marc Wilmots only gets 7,520 entries.
The two countries also took very different routes to the second round of the FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan™. Brazil swept all before them in Group C, beating Turkey, Costa Rica and China for a maximum haul of nine points from their three games, scoring eleven goals in the process and conceding only three. It was more of a struggle for Belgium. After draws in their opening two matches, the "Red Devils" needed a goal at the death against Russia to take second place in Group D.
Luis Felipe Scolari has already used 20 of his 23 players, only seven of whom have played in all three games, with four playing all 270 minutes. Scolari has a very balanced squad and can replace a like-for-like player in virtually every position. Belgium's manager Robert Waseige used 18 players in the group matches, eight of whom were ever-present, and five playing every minute.
Whilst Brazil have a number of technically-gifted players at their disposal, the Belgians have tended to rely on the physical aspect of their game at this FIFA World Cup. With 126 tackles, of which 67 (53.1%) were fouls, Belgium have shown their appetite for a battle. Brazil are also capable of putting their opponents under pressure, however, as their record of 141 tackles and 37 fouls (27%) will testify.
Brazil's success is based on a variety of players, but one man, with four goals and 14 shots, ten of them on target, has been largely responsible for their prolific attack - that man Ronaldo. Marc Wilmots, however, can be just as proud of his performance to date - with three goals and eight shots (five on target) to his name, the 33-year-old journeyman is one of the tournament's top scorers, Which brings us back to the search engine. That ratio of 253,000 to 7,520 might be slightly out of proportion... and Wilmots will be doing his upmost to redress the balance against Brazil.
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All the numbers on Brazil and Belgium
At first glance, Belgium versus Brazil has all the makings of a David and Goliath mismatch. A search on Yahoo.com for web site entries for each side's best-known player bears this theory out. Type in Ronaldo and 253,000 entries appear, whilst a search on Marc Wilmots only gets 7,520 entries.
The two countries also took very different routes to the second round of the FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan™. Brazil swept all before them in Group C, beating Turkey, Costa Rica and China for a maximum haul of nine points from their three games, scoring eleven goals in the process and conceding only three. It was more of a struggle for Belgium. After draws in their opening two matches, the "Red Devils" needed a goal at the death against Russia to take second place in Group D.
Luis Felipe Scolari has already used 20 of his 23 players, only seven of whom have played in all three games, with four playing all 270 minutes. Scolari has a very balanced squad and can replace a like-for-like player in virtually every position. Belgium's manager Robert Waseige used 18 players in the group matches, eight of whom were ever-present, and five playing every minute.
Whilst Brazil have a number of technically-gifted players at their disposal, the Belgians have tended to rely on the physical aspect of their game at this FIFA World Cup. With 126 tackles, of which 67 (53.1%) were fouls, Belgium have shown their appetite for a battle. Brazil are also capable of putting their opponents under pressure, however, as their record of 141 tackles and 37 fouls (27%) will testify.
Brazil's success is based on a variety of players, but one man, with four goals and 14 shots, ten of them on target, has been largely responsible for their prolific attack - that man Ronaldo. Marc Wilmots, however, can be just as proud of his performance to date - with three goals and eight shots (five on target) to his name, the 33-year-old journeyman is one of the tournament's top scorers, Which brings us back to the search engine. That ratio of 253,000 to 7,520 might be slightly out of proportion... and Wilmots will be doing his upmost to redress the balance against Brazil.