Although the official time is calculated as 120 minutes, the total time the 2 teams played and the viewers of the match spent is nearly 150 minutes. Its result, of course, is divided into 2 extremes as usual, but what makes many people regret is that the pain belongs to the better team for most of the time.
This defeat will leave a deep wound for Senegal. They controlled the match for 86 minutes and scored 2 goals in 26 minutes (from 25 to 51). Coach Pape Thiaw's students could even score more goals, play smoothly in attack, have the necessary endurance to help the defense knock out Belgium's attacks. When the clock struck the 86th minute, everything was considered settled. Senegalese fans celebrated in the stands, while Belgium played lifelessly.
Criticisms for the golden generation of Belgium have begun to be drafted. Senegal completely deserved a historic victory. However, 2 moments of distraction caused them to pay a heavy price against the Belgian team who had played lacklusterly before. That is the harshness of top matches.
Exactly in about 161 seconds, the score was 2-2 thanks to one of the most unbelievable scenarios in World Cup history. No one could have imagined that, even coach Rudi Garcia, who made bold substitutions seemingly just out of extreme despair, was also like that.
And then, the penalty came in the final minutes of the second half of extra time. Senegal reacted with a combination of surprise and anger, recalling how they left the field in the African Cup final (AFCON) in January, also after a controversial late penalty decision (making their victory later reversed to an advantage for Morocco).
From the decisive moment of the 11m penalty to the time of execution lasted more than 7 minutes, so the goal in the 125th minute was also the latest goal in the history of the World Cup finals.
An unforgettable night in Seattle. Not because of the exponential pain for the loser and the very vague joy in the future of the winner.
There are things that are really... speechless!
