Brennan Johnson was the hero to lead a magnificent comeback for Wales in their Euro 2024 qualifying match against Belgium. Unfortunately, his efforts came undone with a last minute VAR penalty call. The contest played out on a historic night in Brussels. Belgium jumped on the Welsh quickly and built a 3-0 lead, but the Welsh team roared back and tied the match up at 3-3. The thrilling match eventually finished 4-3 to Belgium, with Romelu Lukaku scoring the winning goal.
The game opened with Belgium finding their rhythm. In perhaps his most controversial moment, Johnson was accused of a ball-handling foul on a shot fired by Kevin De Bruyne. The referee obligingly pointed to the penalty spot, giving Belgium a worryingly early chance to go three goals up. This moment would prove key as the touch would establish a precedent for a game of physicality and high-stakes affair.
Johnson’s Heroics Amid Controversy
Despite trailing 3-0, Brennan Johnson showcased his talent by scoring an equalizer for Wales. His goal completed an incredible turnaround, one which had Wales defying the odds stacked against them in ever-increasing fashion. The score was reviewed for several minutes in VAR for offside. This produced real and serious concern among players and fans as well.
Following an agonising delay of one minute and 42 seconds, the verdict was confirmed in Wales’ favour. Yet, the drama did not end there. A further VAR review of one minute and 12 seconds ensued before the go-ahead was given for Johnson’s goal to count. It was his sixth goal for the national team. This most beautiful of backstories unfolded just two minutes 40 seconds after Wales’ Harry Wilson (above) had put his team ahead.
“For us to go 3-0 down, we made lots of mistakes. But overall I felt like we controlled the game.” – Sorba Thomas
Johnson was instrumental in rekindling belief within the Welsh ranks. Even when everything was going against them in the match, they just showed this incredible perseverance.
A Match Defined by VAR Decisions
The game will mostly be remembered for an endless procession of noteworthy VAR checks that utterly wrecked its rhythm. That’s a net loss of 13 minutes 52 seconds just on reviews for goal-scoring situations. Johnson’s previous handball led directly to Lukaku’s penalty. This crime highlighted the polarizing effect of all the controversial decisions made in play.
As the match progressed, tensions escalated. Coach Craig Bellamy and player Harry Wilson earned yellow cards after complaining about the referee’s performance. Those moves illustrated the desperation of the Welsh side as they huffed and puffed trying to come back from their three-goal hole.
Those comeback attempts in Wales came to a head with Johnson’s biggest tally, which tied the game at 3-3. Just minutes later, Lukaku found the net once more to net his brace on the evening. His deflected finish appeared to be securing Belgium all three points. This led to a second VAR check for whether the ball had gone out of play in the build-up.
“They didn’t show us the respect we deserved; they thought the game was done but we showed the Welsh fight.” – Sorba Thomas
Reflections on a Hard-Fought Battle
After the match, Sorba Thomas talked about how incredibly proud he was of the team’s performance, even in defeat. Perhaps most importantly, he stressed the fact that even though they fell behind early, they were able to dictate large sections of the game. As far as Thomas was concerned, the second half proved just how much heart and resilience define this team now, as molded by their new direction.
“The second half showed what we are about under the new boss. Even though we lost, I feel like we won it in our heads.” – Sorba Thomas
The Welsh squad had a never-say-die attitude. They almost executed one of the most incredible comebacks this season on one of its top teams. Their determination to reclaim respect on the pitch resonated throughout the match and will likely fuel their ambitions as they look ahead to future encounters.
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