Two Substitutes Give Belgium Win

(fifa.com)

Belo Horizonte, Brazil - After giving up a penalty in the first half, things were not looking good for Belgium as they faced Algeria.  However, two second half substitutes made the difference for the Marc Wilmots's side.

It seemed that the team that has been dubbed the "dark horse" by many may be upset in there first match after a foul by Jan Vertonghen gave Algeria a penalty kick.

Sofiane Feghouli, the Algerian penalty taker, placed the ball perfectly to beat Thibaut Courtois and give his side the lead.  A rare miss by the Belgian shot stopper seemed that it may have been the only goal in the match.

However, in the second half Belgian manager Marc Wilmots made some key decisions that affected the match exactly how he planned.  Wilmots chose to substitute both Marouane Fellaini and Dries Mertens onto the field on different instances.

Both of these substitutions payed dividends for the Belgian side.  The first such reward for Wilmots's strategic change was the 70th minute goal scored by Fellaini.

Belgian youngster Kevin de Bruyne placed his cross perfectly to find the head of Fellaini.  Fellaini managed to flick the ball behind him and beat the Algerian keeper.

Wilmots's substitutes were not done yet though.  It was again a substitute who scored the second goal, this time at the feet of Dries Mertens.

Mertens scored a near post goal on a counter attack to make the scoreline 2-1.  Though the second assist was awarded to Eden Hazard, the counter attack was started by Kevin de Bruyne. 

Though the match was somewhat of a disappointing showing for the tournament's "dark horse," it did show the resilience of the team.  It also showed that Belgium has a deep lineup and has several players capable of scoring and producing goals.

Even given the win, Belgium will surely be hoping for a stronger result against Russia and South Korea.

Belgium face Russia on Sunday June 22, while Algeria will take on South Korea later the same day.