Jan on Belgium-Brazil: "Both teams will go for it"
Thu 05 July 2018, 12:20|
Tottenham Hotspur
Jan Vertonghen expects a 'crazy' World Cup quarter-final against Brazil on Friday.
The experienced central defender will team-up with Spurs team-mate Toby Alderweireld in trying to stop Brazil's dangerous forwards Neymar, Gabriel Jesus, Roberto Firmino and Philippe Coutinho in Kazan (7pm UK).
Now capped 103 times, Jan, 31, helped Belgium recover from 2-0 down with only 20 minutes left to win 3-2 against Japan in a thrilling last 16 tie on Monday.
Now for the big one - for a place in the semi-finals.
“Brazil...well, for me, England are favourites to win it but Brazil, of course they are a top, top team," said Jan.
"It will be a crazy quarter-final, both teams will go for the win and try to attack, so it should be a very good game.”
Speaking to us from Russia this week, Jan described his emotions after that last 16 comeback in Rostov.
Japan scored after 48 and 52 minutes to lead 2-0. Jan kick-started Belgium’s dramatic comeback with a seemingly impossible header, Marouane Fellaini levelled it up on 74 minutes and then the thrilling finale as Belgium broke from a Japan corner and former Spur Nacer Chadli sprinted the length of the pitch to convert with only seconds remaining of the four minutes’ added time.
Amazing fight from this team! #REDTOGETHER pic.twitter.com/zBu19XIiof
— Jan Vertonghen (@JanVertonghen) July 2, 2018
“The emotions when Nacer scored the winning goal were crazy,” added Jan. “First of all, very happy with the win, that my goal helped the comeback and I’m very happy for Nacer. He’s a great guy, he’s been training really hard and it was a big, big moment for him after a difficult season.
“As for my goal, I just tried to head it back somewhere in that zone and I was a bit lucky that the ball fell in. You hope that someone heads it back in or the header goes in, but obviously there was a bit of luck involved!"
Spurs players in the quarter-finals...
Hugo Lloris
France v Uruguay - 3pm, Friday
Toby Alderweireld, Mousa Dembele, Jan Vertonghen
Belgium v Brazil - 7pm, Friday
Dele Alli, Eric Dier, Harry Kane, Danny Rose, Kieran Trippier
England v Sweden - 3pm, Saturday
