Belgium coach Marc Wilmots said that he wanted to keep his players ‘fresh’ for the upcoming Round of 16 tie against the USA.
The Red Devils finished top of Group H after their 1-0 over South Korea on Thursday thanks to a goal from Jan Vertonghen.
Speaking to FIFA after the game, Wilmots said that he wanted to keep his players in shape while admitting that Steven Defour’s dismissal changed his intended approach for the game.
“The sending off spoiled our intended approach,” he said. “However, I was able to rearrange the team at half time.
“If we get space we are dangerous and I knew that South Korea would push forward in the second half because they had to; we were patient and exploited the space.
“I wanted to keep the players fit for the Round of 16 tie so I made some changes, now everyone is ready”.
Belgium will face the United States in the Arena Fonte Nova in Salvador on the 1st of July.
