Belgium and Japan delivered an instant classic on Monday, combining for five goals in a manic second half that saw the Red Devils fall behind 2-0 before coming all the way back, capping the thriller with a 94th-minute winner from Nacer Chadli.
Here's a timeline of the madness, as told by Twitter.
Belgium's World Cup hopes were hanging by a thread after Japan scored twice in a four-minute second-half window, and naturally, Twitter erupted with glee ...
— John Brewin (@JohnBrewin_) July 2, 2018
GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL 🇯🇵🇯🇵🇯🇵🇯🇵🇯🇵🇯🇵🇯🇵🇯🇵🇯🇵🇯🇵🇯🇵
— Kei Nishikori (@keinishikori) July 2, 2018
Japan are going to win the World Cup!
— Sachin Nakrani (@SachinNakrani) July 2, 2018
Sweden v Japan World Cup Final is July 15th.
— Tom McDermott (@MrTomMcDermott) July 2, 2018
Getting ready for a Japan-Russia final
— Steven Goff (@SoccerInsider) July 2, 2018
Japan only won two of their last nine games coming in? This is hilarious
— Zito (@_Zeets) July 2, 2018
Belgium might be the biggest bottle jobs since bottles themselves.
— VUJ (@DavidVujanic) July 2, 2018
Remember how the ball on Pavard's shot rotated 8,000 times in multiple directions simultaneously and how incredible that was? Ball on Inui's shot didn't rotate one single fucking time. Also incredible. Love a good strike.
— Брайан Страус (@BrianStraus) July 2, 2018
*British media on Friday*
— Lewis Iwu (@lewisiwu) July 2, 2018
Gareth Southgate has blown it. We could be playing Japan. Would have been a bye into the quarters
*British media right now*
Man’s a genius #JPN
#BELJPN pic.twitter.com/XfaqOBxjDF
... Then, as quickly as Belgium fell behind, it snatched a pair of goals from Jan Vertonghen and Marouane Fellaini to draw level.
I have never seen a headed goal quite like that one from Vertonghen
— Bobby McMahon (@BobbySoccerRep) July 2, 2018
If Vertonghen meant that, it was one of the greatest headers of all time. (I suspect he probably didn't.)
— Tom Williams (@tomwfootball) July 2, 2018
— Stanley Victor Collymore (@StanCollymore) July 2, 2018
Vertical doping
— Jack Lang (@jacklang) July 2, 2018
Mourinho about to roll a blunt and laugh at us all bro
— David Amoyal (@DavidAmoyal) July 2, 2018
— Graham Ruthven (@grahamruthven) July 2, 2018
And then, incredibly, from a Japan corner kick, Belgium raced all the way back down the pitch to steal the win with the final kick of the match. Football Twitter, predictably, lost its mind - and showed a ton of love for Romelu Lukaku's excellent dummy that helped facilitate the Chadli winner:
THAT WAS A STUNNING COUNTER AND LUKAKU WITH THAT FIRE DUMMY AND I FEEL SO BAD FOR JAPAN AND WHERE IS MY BREATH WOWWWWW
— Miriti Murungi (@NutmegRadio) July 2, 2018
Stoppage. Time. Winner.
— COPA90 US (@COPA90US) July 2, 2018
LIMBS. #WorldCup
[🎥: @michielchris] #BEL pic.twitter.com/CYptb9dHRi
WHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHATTTTTTTTTTTTT a goal
— James Tyler (@JamesTylerESPN) July 2, 2018
When people think you're an idiot, but your two subs score to beat Japan 3-2 and get you to the quarterfinals: pic.twitter.com/dyL1t6RcHn
— Brooks Peck (@BrooksDT) July 2, 2018
Officially terrified of Belgium 😨 Unbelievable character and sets up a great quarter final with Brazil. 🇧🇪 🇧🇷 #WorldCup
— Ian Wright (@IanWright0) July 2, 2018
Lukaku deserves to be knighted for stepping over that
— Jack Lang (@jacklang) July 2, 2018
The last time a team came from 2-0 down to win a World Cup knockout game was Germany against England in 1970.
— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) July 2, 2018
nevermind, we are paupers before Roberto Martinez, whose tactics are not only good, but perfect,
— Micah Peters (@micahpeters_) July 2, 2018
One of the great World Cup dummies from Lukaku.
— Tom Williams (@tomwfootball) July 2, 2018
