The balloon truly went up on Euro 2016 in Lille, exactly three weeks into the event.
Just over the border, very many Walloons will feel thoroughly deflated. The tournament no longer has a dark-horse Belgium but it has an inspiring, underdog semi-finalist, in the shape of a Wales whose gumption will alarm the Portugal they meet in Lyon on Wednesday.
The competition also enjoyed a gripping contest, perhaps it best game yet, to savour from first minute to last.
Belgium’s so-called Golden Generation go home, a quick journey from this northern city, with the sensation that some golden chances went awry against Wales, and to a fierce inquisition why a combination of gifted players like the squad the Red Devils have at their disposal have not punched like heavyweights at a major tournament.
The first answer is they came against a Wales who have now beaten Belgium twice – and drawn once – in the adventure, qualifying included, that is their wonderful European Championship. It was not a fluke.
Italy v Germany next
• Richard Jolly: 'No Italy trauma' Germans insist, but they have to prove it
• Ian Hawkey: Antonio Conte's clever calculus to get a world class examination
What Wales’ 3-1 win is, is history. In the country’s first major tournament since 1958, they have reached the last four, bettered their quarter-final of the 1958 World Cup. And up against the Belgium of Eden Hazard, Thibaut Courtois, Kevin De Bruyne and company, they managed their coup without a goal from Gareth Bale.
The goal that put them 2-1 up will be remembered for a long time, though, a superb, delicate turn by Hal Robson-Kanu to twist his way through three defenders, having received the ball with his back to goal. Robson-Kanu was released by his Championship club, Reading, ahead of Euro 2016; he started the tournament with a scuffed, off-his-shin winner against Slovakia.
He became a national legend in Lille.
Belgium had led early, thanks to a Radja Nainggolan rocket from outside the Wales penalty area. They had dominated until then. But Wales made them look fragile. Marc Wilmots, the Belgian manager, will bear some responsibility for that. He has endured a difficult tournament.
After defeat to Italy in the opening game there was talk of rifts; there was barely veiled criticism from his goalkeeper Courtois; there was no veil at all over Wilmots’ criticism of how Romelu Lukaku had led the forward line against Italy. Nor was it all smiles after Republic of Ireland had been thrashed 3-0 to put Belgium’s account back into the black. Wilmots’ immediate response to that win – and Lukaku’s two goals – was to do some score-settling with members of the Belgian media.
When Wilmots is angry, you know about it. And just over half an hour into what had been a electric first-half against Wales, he was livid. A well-built, heavy man, you might have heard the ground shaking well over the border in Wallonia as he leapt up and down on the edge of his technical area as his team prepared to defend a corner, bellowing out urgently at something that displeased him about the way his players were positioned.
This was a Belgium defence altered since the previous game, the demolition of Hungary, with Jan Vertoghen injured and Thomas Vermaelen suspended. Two senior men out, two junior men in, at centre-half and at left-back. Jason Denayer and Jordan Lukaku are both 21, and owners of 13 caps between them. If Wilmots had uncertainties about his defence, they may have been the cause. And Wales always had the thought the new men might not establish their bearings confidently. Bale thundered towards Lukaku at the first opportunity he had to catch the full-back in possession.
But whatever irked the raging Wilmots as Aaron Ramsey teed up a corner from the Welsh right, the coach’s worries were well founded. Ramsey’s delivery arched over the head of the younger Lukaku, who mistimed his jump and Ashley Williams, stepping into space directly in front of goal, nodded in the equaliser. Not long afterwards, Williams again had a free header from a Ramsey corner, but plunged it off target.
Wilmots cooled down after his agonising foresight of danger ahead. The contest scarcely did.
From the sixth minute, when Belgium had seen three successive efforts cleared – menacing shots from Thomas Meunier, Yannick Carrasco and Hazard – within three seconds, there was terrific pace to the game, never dampened by the rain which fell steadily through the first half.
That early, penalty box pinball threatened a deluge of its own – of Belgian attacks. Several times they found space behind the Wales wing-backs, issuing crosses that found no final touch. When Nainggolan’s rocket bulged Wayne Hennessey’s net, only 13 minutes had passed, but they were minutes in which Belgium had concentrated the thrust and flourish of the best periods of their 4-0 win against Hungary.
Wales’ achievement was to weather that and maturely, wisely, gradually, see-saw the momentum their way.
The captain’s intervention for the first goal took the wind out of Belgium, and for all the chances racked up by Wilmots’ men in a second half of some sturdy clearances, and a little luck – notably when Marouane Fellaini headed wide, having beaten Williams to a cross – Wales had their measure.
And they spared themselves anxiety in the final minutes, too, with a beautifully executed goal from substitute Sam Vokes, meeting a Chris Gunter cross at the near post. Wilmots’ reaction this time was a look of mere resignation.
Follow us on Twitter @NatSportUAE
Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/TheNationalSport
