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World Cup: France, Brazil, Uruguay, Belgium battle for semi-final spots
News & Trends •
if i seem more relaxed its because the players have put me in this position by playing better said tite1 the world cup bursts back into life on friday as tournament favourites brazil take on a belgium side brimming with talent while a young france team face battle-hardened uruguay1 neymars brazil are aiming to win a record-extending sixth world cup at moscows luzhniki stadium on july 151 but first the worlds most expensive player and his star-studded supporting cast have to get past belgium who boast an array of their firepower to reach the semi-finals1 in a kazan arena expected to be dominated by yellow-clad brazil fans eden hazard romelu lukaku and kevin de bruyne have a chance to prove they can cut it at the highest international level1 they will have to be wary of attacking threats coming at them from every direction1 individually brazil are the strongest team in this world cup said vastly experienced belgium defender vincent kompany1 but it doesnt affect our chances against them. none of us are going to sleep at night thinking we have already lost to brazil1 we are going to look them in the eye. but if we make this a match of individuals then well lose he said1 brazil coach tite said he was desperate to win the match without resorting to the horror of penalties after three of the last-16 ties were settled by spot-kicks1 a football match should never be settled with the horror of penalties. i dont see that as a valid result tite told a packed press conference on thursday. for me there has to be another way1 brazil made a slow start in russia but hit their stride with an impressive performance to shut down mexico in the last round even though neymar was roundly criticised for once again play-acting at the merest contact from an opponent1 the first match uruguay-france will take place at 3pm nigerian time and the second at 7pm1 france overran argentina in a last-16 match that appeared to signal the passing of a torch to a new generation of superstars as 19-year-old kylian mbappe scored twice to outshine lionel messi and dump the 2014 finalists out of the competition1 uruguay have so many assets so many qualities said france coach didier deschamps. they defend as a unit they play together and they love to do that1 uruguay are crossing their fingers that prolific striker edinson cavani will recover from the calf injury he sustained in his impressive two-goal performance that ended the hopes of cristiano ronaldos portugal1 cavani was back in training on thursday and france are acutely aware of the threat posed by the man who plays his club football for paris saint-germain1 i am preparing my team for if cavani plays deschamps said although he suggested uruguay were keeping their cards close to their chest if he plays or not i will only know 90 minutes before the game1 in england world cup fever is building as hopes rise that gareth southgates young team can beat sweden on saturday and reach the semi-finals for the first time since 19901 even bank of england governor mark carney is getting swept up in the excitement saying that if the three lions were to win the tournament for the first time since 1966 it would be an unalloyed unadulterated absolute good1 coach gareth southgate has urged his young squad to seize their chance1 its a great opportunity and although our team will be individually better in two years we might not have this opportunity again southgate told the bbc1 in saturdays other quarter-final host nation russia will hope to keep their rollercoaster ride through the finals going when they face croatia1 written off as no-hopers before the tournament russia are now within reach of their first semi-final since 19661