Photo: Kevin C. Cox (Getty)
More than any other soccer skill, positional awareness comes with the widest gulf between how important it is to a team’s success and how readily noticeable it is to the casual fan watching at home. This is partly due to the limitations of broadcast camera angles, and partly due to the fact that smart movement often ends up being overshadowed by the things it leads to: slick passes, tap-in goals, and free headers at the back post.
It’s a good thing, then, that we have this camera angle of today’s game-winning goal by Belgium. Keep your eyes on the middle-left of the field, where you’ll see Belgium striker Romelu Lukaku creating a goal for his team without ever touching the ball:
Lukaku’s one of the best strikers in the world because he’s got the kind of strength, speed, and finishing ability that you rarely see packaged in one player, but also because he’s always one of the smartest players on the field. His commitment to studying the game and mastering the finer points of striker play are well-known, and it’s that commitment that shines through in plays like the one above.
There isn’t a single wasted step from Lukaku in that sequence. As soon as Kevin De Bruyne begins his run forward, Lukaku becomes aware of the fact that he has a winger coming down the flank behind him. He immediately explodes toward the middle of the field, crossing De Bruyne’s run and dragging a defender with him, leaving an entire flank open for De Bruyne to pass into. Once the pass is played, Lukaku heads straight for the penalty spot to make himself a target. This is where most strikers, salivating at the idea of scoring a game-winner in stoppage time, would have attempted to control the ensuing pass and squeeze off a tricky finish. But Lukaku could see Japan’s last defender hugging towards him as he centered his run, and knew that Nacer Chadli would be free near the back post as a result. This led to the most breathtaking part of the whole play: a perfectly executed dummy by Lukaku that left Chadli with an open net.
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Curlers from 25 yards out and passes that slice through the defensive lines are always going to be plays that lead highlight reels, and deservedly so. But sometimes the best way to win a soccer game is to run quickly and in the right direction; Belgium are lucky to have a starting striker who is always doing that.
Bek Jepang itu menilai Belgia punya kekuatan merata dan secara khusus tak sabar untuk menghadapi penyerang depan mereka yakni Lukaku. Gen Shoji bersiap menghadapi penyerang Belgia Romelu Lukaku saat Jepang memainkan babak 16 besar Piala Dunia 2018 di Rostov-on-Don pada Selasa (3/7) dini hari WIB nanti.
Lukaku merupakan topskor Belgia di turnamen ini setelah mengemas empat gol dari dua penampilannya, meski ia terpaksa melewatkan partai terakhir di fase grup kala menang atas Inggris karena mengalami cedera engkel.
Meski begitu, penyerang milik Manchester United itu ditegaskan fit untuk bermain di pertandingan nanti dan Shoji secara khusus tak sabar untuk bertemu Belgia, yang ia sebut bukan hanya soal Lukaku. Terkait
“Di tim Belgia itu bukan cuma Lukaku,” kata Shoji. “Itu dipenuhi bintang. Meski begitu, sebagai lawan, saya tak sabar untuk menghadapi mereka.
“Saya meyakini bahwa saya akan sering berhadapan dengan Lukaku. Dalam persiapan kami, saya pikir saya harus mengungguli dia dari segi mental.
“Ya, kami dihadapkan dengan Belgia, musuh yang tangguh, namun saya ingin siap secara mental.”
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Romelu Lukaku believes his Manchester United team-mate Marcus Rashford has all the qualities to be one of the most complete number nines the world has ever seen.
The Belgium forward has played alongside Rashford at Old Trafford since signing in 2017, and has been helping him improve his game and unlock his potential.
Lukaku watched from the bench as his nation beat England in their final World Cup group game on Thursday, in which Rashford started for the Three Lions.
And he was full of praise for the young forward, who he tips for superstardom in the next two-to-three years, should his development continue in an upward trajectory.
(Image: PA)
"Of course, Marcus is basically my working partner at United. We do everything together and I try to help him as much as I can," said Lukaku.
"He has a lot of qualities and for me he is maybe the one of the most complete number nines.
(Image: AFP/Getty)
"He can do everything. In the next two or three years you will see the best out of Marcus because he can do everything a footballer needs to do.
"For me, I just try to help him in this process and hopefully along the way we can achieve great things together."
Berita Terbaru – Adegan ini lupa ditayangkan di televisi, memperlihatkan betapa geniusnya Romelu Lukaku pada laga Belgia vs Jepang tadi malam. Lihat bagaimana dia menyeret pergi pemain lawan guna menciptakan ruang kosong.
Ini merupakan adegan pada menit 90+4 pada masa injury time laga Belgia vs Jepang di Rostov Arena, Selasa dinihari. Skor waktu itu sudah 2-2. Namun Belgia membutuhkan satu gol penting guna menghindari masa extra time yang berlarut-larut dan melelahkan.
Bola cepat dari kiper Thibaut Courtois dikirim ke Kevin de Bruyne, yang dikunci oleh para pemain Jepang selama 90 menit, dan baru memberikan jasanya pada saat yang paling menentukan. Ia berlari ke depan. Cepat. Sangat cepat. Dan coba lihat apa yang dilakukan Lukaku?
Ia tidak berlari melebar ke sayap untuk menerima bola tapi ke tengah, memotong lebar lapangan guna menyeret pergi satu pemain Jepang di sayap kanan (dari sudut pandang Belgia). AKibatnya space di situ kosong dan lihat Thomas Meunier masuk mengisi ruang yang ditinggalkan Lukaku guna menerima bola terobosan dari Kevin de Bruyne secara enak, tanpa gangguan pemain lawan.
Dan lebih hebatnya lagi, waktu bola silang dari Meunier dikirim ke tengah kotak penalti, ia melakukan dummy, berpura-pura hendak mengambil bola untuk menembak ke gawang. APa yang terjadi setelahnya adalah sejarah. Bola dibiarkan melewati kakinya dan mencapai Nacer Chadli di sisi kirinya dan GOOOOOOL!
Dua-tiga pemain belakang Jepang terpontal-pontal tak tahu musti menjaga siapa. Mengawal Lukaku, dia berlari tanpa bola. Kembali ke Meunier, bola terlanjur dikirim ke tengah. Ketika semua fokus terpusat pada raksasa Belgia yang berkarir di Manchester United itu, eh, bola malah dibiarkan lolos ke Chadli. Lihat dua adegan genius itu di bawah ini.
📹 | Lukaku’s wayward run to drag the defender & then the clutch dummy to set up Belgium’s winner to take them to a huge World Cup QF game against Brazil. pic.twitter.com/iSOJUhzad2
Belgium's winning goal was made possible by some very intelligent off the ball movement by Lukaku
-drags a Japan defender away with his first run to open lane for Meunier to run into and receive from KDB
-Second run inside box opens space for Chadli to receive and shoot#BELJPN pic.twitter.com/Gspopmes2G
— Football Bloody Hell (@fbhfootball) July 2, 2018
