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Group G hotted up in earnest with presumptive frontrunners Belgium and Egypt opening their World Cup campaigns with a credible draw. A crowd of 66,775 watched on under the intense sun of the early North American summer, in a contest which warranted the contentious cooling breaks that have been universally adopted for this tournament.
The group’s headline clash was slated as a noon affair under a heat advisory in Seattle, with on-field temperatures of 30C (86F) and high, hazy clouds at kick-off. There was scarcely an empty seat to be found, forming a sea of red and white owing to the teams’ similar colours.
Both sides tested Ramon Abatti’s tolerance for contact and exchanged a pair of early yellow cards. As the match entered its 20th minute, Egypt found a breakthrough. A quick restart caught Belgium backpedalling into position as Egypt approached the final third. Some nifty right-sided buildup found Salah, where he turned to his left and assessed.
Playing on his 34th birthday, Salah fizzed a pass to his left where Emam Ashour collected and cut toward the top of the D. The midfielder fired a shot underneath Thomas Meunier’s dangling leg and beyond a diving Thibaut Courtois, who had overcommitted to his left and was unable to stretch far enough to his right. It was a timely first international goal for the Al-Ahly midfielder on his 30th appearance.
The stands at Seattle Stadium physically rocked during the raucous celebration, a hallmark of the venue when it hosts American and association football alike (as well as Taylor Swift concerts).
Belgium struggled to maximise their width for large portions of the first half. Egypt was proactive when closing down Jérémy Doku, often doubling-up on the winger whenever the ball went in his direction. On the opposite flank, Leandro Trossard often seemed in two minds about what to do in possession, having the ball taken off of him three times in the opening half hour.
After Ashour’s opener, however, Doku switched to the right where Egypt had fewer numbers. Belgium were able to sustain the bulk of possession after conceding, advancing into the final third with regularity but struggling to fashion dangerous chances or shots on Mostafa Shobeir’s goal.
As first-half stoppage time loomed, passes and shots increased in desperation. A long-range effort from Kevin De Bruyne failed to enter the box, instead smacking the striker Charles De Ketelaere on the backside. Doku tried a volley but shanked it well above the bar. Egypt nearly found a second with the half’s final action, but the last in a series of corners drifted above the scrum and tamely into open terrain.
Belgium picked up where they left off in search of an equaliser. De Bruyne curled a 21-yard free-kick over the wall before clattering the post in the 53rd minute. Egypt were opportunistic and broke on the counter to earn a corner. As the ball recirculated down the wing, Salah was able to win a header just beyond the six-yard box. His effort bounced just in front of Courtois, who was able to parry it to his left to an awaiting Ashour, who could not double his tally as his shot rolled well wide of the exposed far post.
As Belgium shot more speculatively, Egypt comported themselves with greater aspiration than sitting in a bunker. The Pharaohs broke on the counter when able but otherwise were content to have possession in midfield with its defence well-stationed behind. De Bruyne had another effort roll tamely into Shobeir’s embrace a minute after a Youri Tielemans volley swung past his far post. Egypt’s fans fought their nerves, but Belgium did little to truly intensify their mid-afternoon sweats.
At last, in the 66th minute, Rudi Garcia did what so many Belgium coaches have done and put his team’s fate at Romelu Lukaku’s feet. It proved a savvy switch, as a quick break by Meunier into the box for a close-range cross found Lukaku sliding between a pair of defenders in close proximity to Shobeir. The ball went beyond Lukaku’s leg but caught the inside of Mohamed Hany’s boot and rolled into Egypt’s net, levelling the game just before the second-half drinks break.
In the end, Salah was unable to mark his birthday with a goal before he exited in the 75th minute. Shobeir made an impressive save on a header by Brandon Mechele without letting it fall to an onrushing Lukaku, while Courtois had to tip a speculative long-range lob by Ahmed Fatouh on to the top of his net in the ensuing sequence. De Bruyne and Doku exited shortly after despite continuing to provide danger, with Rudi Garcia preserving his stars at such an early stage of the tournament.
While Egypt were unable to preserve a famous first World Cup win, taking a point off Belgium could be pivotal for their hopes of a first advancement from the group stage. They and Belgium will look to games against Iran and New Zealand to secure a place in the round of 32, both showing a willingness to get stuck in while playing with ample quality.
