The Belgium vs Colombia international friendly match will take place this Thursday, November 14, 2013 (12:00 PM Pacific) at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels. This match will be a strong test for both of these teams as they begin to prepare for next year’s World Cup in Brazil. Both Belgium and Colombia come into this game having locked one of the top seeds for the World Cup. Colombia comes into this game ranked number 4 in the world while Belgium is right behind at number 5 in the FIFA rankings.
Belgium is currently living through a great moment and they are one of the hottest teams in the international stage. In their last 9 matches they have won 7 games and tied 2. With a young crop of talented players such as Hazard, Fellaini, Courtois, De Bruyne, Lukaku, along with veterans like Kompany, Belgium figures to be a strong force for many years to come. Having cruised through the World Cup qualifiers, Belgium will now start testing their capabilities starting with a tough home test against Colombia. One of the main keys to over-coming their rival will be how their offense approaches a very well disciplined Colombian defense. The likes of Hazard and Lukaku will need to be in form to be able to give the home side a strong advantage.
On the other hand, Colombia arrives at Brussels after slumping their last couple of games in their qualifiers. Their offensive seems to have lost some rhythm and they will look to find this chemistry once again when they face Belgium. Falcao must find a way to regain his form in order for Colombia to re-discover their offense. In order for this to happen, their mid-field must start creating more opportunities and it all starts with Rodriguez and Torres. The youngster Quintero will also be an option for coach Pekerman to try in the mid-field; as he has shown the ability to be a play-maker while also showing the ability to score goals.
Belgium vs Colombia Prediction
This match will be a preview of what two of the top seeds in next year’s World Cup are capable of bringing on the pitch. Both of these clubs, despite their ranking, are considered to be dark horses and they will need to prove that they belong at the top of the rankings with other power houses such as Spain, Germany, and Argentina. I am expecting Belgium to come out controlling the game in front of their home crowd. Although I expect them to control the pace of the game it will be very tough for Belgium to break a strong Colombian defense. I expect Belgium to be the better team tomorrow at home but at the end I believe the match will result in a 1-1 draw.
Belgium vs Colombia TV Schedule
The Belgium vs Colombia match will be televised on ESPN Deportes and ESPN3.com on Thursday, November 14, 2013 at 12:00 PM Pacific.
