Lukaku shows why centre forwards are still a thing

Romelu Lukaku is a throwback to simpler times when all a striker needed to do was score goals.

- Ashish Magotra

They would hang around near the centre line, saving their energy, for most of the game and then suddenly strike when the opportunity presented itself.

It requires a certain amount of zen to do that, a certain amount of belief to do that and these days, a certain kind of coach to allow you to do that. But for most of the game against Egypt, Belgium lacked that focal point up front.

Egypt looked like they had the handle on Belgium. Jeremy Doku was being double-teamed or even triple-teamed every time he got the ball. The instructions were clear: stop him before he starts to run. The others were being out hustled and the odd brilliant ball from Kevin de Bruyne would catch them out but they would recover quickly enough.

That is when Rudi Garcia, the head coach of Belgium, finally turned to Lukaku. The Frenchman took charge of the squad prior to the FIFA World Cup campaign and is tasked with managing a transitional roster that blends the nation’s veteran players with new talent. Belgium's Old Guard had a wonderful run on the international scene but for all their talent, the big trophies eluded them. Now, just a few of them remain and the dream seems to be dying.