Roberto Martinez, the coach of Belgium, said that his team needs to get better after a 1-0 win over Canada at the World Cup. However, he was happy with the result because teams like Argentina and Germany lost their first games.
After Saudi Arabia’s victory over Argentina and Japan’s victory over Germany, Canada, playing in their first World Cup match in 36 years, tried their best to pull off the third major upset of the week.
Canada had a great opportunity to grab the lead early on, but Thibaut Courtois saved Alphonso Davies’ penalty kick. The fearless Maple Leafs played a high press and didn’t back down, which gave them other chances they couldn’t take.
Michy Batshuayi put Belgium ahead just before halftime by catching a pass over the middle. That seemed to bring some calm, and Martinez’s changes at halftime and at the start of the second half also helped Belgium win the game and put it out of Canada’s reach.
“”The way Canada played, they deserved to beat us,” Martinez told BBC Match of the Day after the game was over. “I think the result shows what we had to do and how we stood up for each other and took advantage of our chances.
“We won, but we need to play better and get better. We’ve been here for five days, so these games have to help us get better. Many of the best teams are losing. As the tournament goes on, you will get better and better. Getting there by winning games is a huge advantage.
“We didn’t win today because of our usual skill with the ball, but that’s not enough to win a World Cup. We need to be realistic and play well, but when a team can win even when they don’t play well, it gives us a lot to work with.”
