García urges Belgium to show more against Iran

Belgium were held by Egypt in their opening World Cup match, and coach Rudi García said the performance had to improve before the next games against Iran and New Zealand.

García said he was pleased with his side’s response after falling behind, but admitted they lost too many duels and gave the ball away too often in the first half. He pointed to the hot conditions and dry pitch, saying the team played at a flat tempo and did not move enough.

He said the draw offered a useful lesson for the meeting with Iran in Los Angeles, where the weather will be cooler but the surface may still cause problems. The Belgium coach added that the team must do better in the final third, explaining that Romelu Lukaku gives them a natural penalty-box threat and that the equaliser came from a strong move involving Thomas Meunier.

García said Belgium are not yet at their required level, but need to start scoring while keeping clean sheets if they want to make a difference in the group.