Just seven years ago, the Belgian national team was ranked 66th in the FIFA World Rankings. This was their lowest position since the system's inception. With such a shocking statistic staring the country in the face, you could forgive them for being slightly pessimistic. However, in the cloud of uncertainty that surrounded them there was hope — the potential beginnings of a new golden generation.
Scotland national team and Celtic captain Scott Brown announced his retirement from international competition on August 19th. However, the pit bullish midfielder retires from Scotland manager Gordon Strachan’s side having left behind some famous memories for supporters of the Tartan Army. While he’s still busy cementing his legacy in Glasgow’s East End, this is the perfect moment to highlight some of the 31 year olds finer achievements.
Here are some of the finest highlights from Brown’s 50 appearances for Scotland as well as his most notable moments for Celtic:
Diving in soccer certainly predates the 1974 FIFA World Cup final, but on no other occasion has the ramifications of a flop been so clearly encapsulated and amplified.
The 1974 World Cup in West Germany served as a pageant for the Netherlands technique of Total Football, the tactical theory envisioning a side in which any outfield player can quickly take over the role of any other player on the pitch.