1,000 fans watch Red Devils match together in Berlaar: 'Twice as many people as expected'

Around 1,000 supporters congregated at the Doelvelden in Berlaar, the home ground of football club SC Rita, to watch the Red Devils' match on a large screen. The event, which included breakfast, had initially planned for 500 seats, but the turnout significantly exceeded expectations.

“

We set an alarm together because this is the only match I can watch with my son, otherwise he has to be fresh for school. So yes, this was our chance to come watch the Belgians together.

Fans demonstrated their dedication, with some waking as early as 4:30 a.m. Glenn de Winter from Kessel attended with his son, emphasizing the rarity of being able to watch a match together before school. "This was our chance to come watch the Belgians together," he said.

“

They didn't stay quiet for a second.

Jef also brought his children, noting their immediate enthusiasm. "They didn't stay quiet for a second," he remarked. For Jef, attending was also a personal commitment, as he finds it difficult to miss World Cup matches and his family is involved in organizing the event.

“

I have a lot of trouble missing anything at the World Cup, and my family is helping organize this, so I think this is a fantastic event.

At halftime, with the score at 0-1, the supporters remained hopeful. Glenn expressed optimism about the team's attacking play, believing the score would improve in the second half. Stephan was even more confident, predicting at least three goals. Regardless of the outcome, the fans were unanimous in their post-match plans: to continue celebrating and postpone sleep, with Stephan already planning to get fresh bread rolls and enjoy his bacon.

“

Today we played very offensively for the first time. The score at halftime is a bit too little, but that will be alright in the second half.