De Cuyper Faces Castagne Battle Before Belgium Opens Against Egypt
Maxim De Cuyper is no longer certain to start at left back for Belgium against Egypt after the last two warm-up matches changed the picture. The spot that once looked secure now sits in a direct battle with Timothy Castagne, with Rudi Garcia set to make the call before Monday’s World Cup opener.
De Cuyper And Castagne
De Cuyper was previously viewed as the clear choice because of his heavy use under Garcia, but that edge has faded. He started in ten of Belgium’s fourteen matches under the head coach, and after the final warm-up against Tunisia, Peter Vandenbempt suspected Castagne would get the nod at left back.
The competition is not bothering De Cuyper. “Dat is een strijd die er moet zijn op een toernooi,” he said of the fight for the role, then added: “Ik heb mijn kwaliteiten, hij heeft de zijne. Het is aan de bondscoach om te kiezen wie hij wil zetten.”
Brighton Lessons
His case rests on more than minutes. De Cuyper said he has become sharper at Brighton, where he has worked on the defensive side of his game and picked up help from James Milner. “Ik ben een slimmere speler geworden,” he said. “Ik heb veel bijgeleerd op defensief vlak.”
He also said the club work has changed him. “We zijn daar veel mee aan het werk gegaan op training,” he said, while pointing to Milner and others around him: “Er zijn ook spelers als James Milner die er dag in dag uit zijn om je te helpen op bepaalde punten.”
Monday In Egypt
Belgium opens its World Cup on Monday against Egypt, and De Cuyper said he wants the first match to answer a lot of questions quickly. “Laat ons rustig de eerste match afwachten,” he said. “Het is goed om meteen aan die match te beginnen. Dan zien we meteen hoe ver we staan.”
He has already lived one major tournament without playing a minute at Euro 2024, so this one begins with a different expectation. “Op het EK ging ik mee zonder verwachtingen,” he said. “Nu verwacht ik dat ik de nodige impact kan hebben op die groep, belangrijk kan zijn en hopelijk zo veel mogelijk kan spelen.”
Belgium also has a clear incentive beyond the opening lineup: if it wins its group, the team can stay in Seattle, avoiding long trips and a change of time zone. De Cuyper called that “een supergroot voordeel” and said the team must chase first place.
