‘I don’t know why’: Kevin De Bruyne mocks man of the match award in Belgium win over Canada
De Bruyne struggled to make an impact as part of a disjointed Belgian attack in their World Cup opener and was baffled to walk away with the best player’s trophy
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Kevin De Bruyne mocked his own man of the match award after Belgium’s unconvincing World Cup win over Canada on Wednesday night.
The world No2-ranked Belgian side struggled against their lively opposition and had goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois to thank for a penalty save which helped earn a 1-0 victory.
Manchester City star De Bruyne had little impact as part of a disjointed Belgian midfield and was baffled by his post-match prize.
“No, I don’t think I played a great game,” a miserable-looking De Bruyne said after being told of his award. “I don’t know why I got the trophy — maybe it’s because of my name.”
Belgium’s aging team were outplayed at times by Canada, who have yet to collect a point or even score a goal in four World Cup matches – including the three games from their debut in 1986.
This should have been the game the Canadians broke that run. Alphonso Davies, the star of Canada’s team, squandered the best chance when his penalty was blocked by Courtois, one of 21 shots taken compared to Belgium’s nine.
“They showed tonight they do belong here,” Canada coach John Herdman said of his players.
One moment of class in the 44th minute wound up deciding the game. It wasn’t from one of De Bruyne’s brilliant through-balls or Eden Hazard’s mazy dribbles, but instead a simple long ball over the top of Canada’s defence by center back Toby Alderweireld.
It split the defence and Michy Batshuayi ran through, letting the ball bounce twice before guiding a left-footed finish into the far corner.
“Delighted that, without being ourselves, we won the game,” Belgium coach Roberto Martinez said. Martinez said it was his team’s worst performance on a technical level since he took charge more than six years ago.
“But was it the worst game?” he added. “No. Because it’s a win.”
There were six players in their 30s in Belgium’s starting line-up, four of them having accrued more than 100 international appearances. Courtois and De Bruyne might reach three figures at this World Cup, in what looks like being a last hurrah for this group of players often described as a “golden generation”.
The absence of Romelu Lukaku — a prolific scorer and big presence up front — is a huge blow to Martinez, with Batshuayi failing to impress as his backup aside from his well-taken goal.
Lukaku, who has a left thigh injury, could potentially miss the entire group stage.
With De Bruyne’s passing unusually poor, all the best moves came from a mobile and attacking Canada team in front of their loud, Maple Leaf-waving fans.
Davies stood out with his driving runs from left back but ruined his performance with his failure from the spot. Herdman had no complaints about Davies taking the kick, even though Jonathan David typically takes them for French club Lille.
“It’s a big moment for any player. You are carrying the weight of a nation,” Herdman said. “When you have an $85m player, let him pick the ball up and take it.”
Canada had 14 shots in the first half alone, the most by a team at the World Cup without scoring in 16 years.
Additional reporting by AP
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