On the site of the Plaza Hannut, transformed into a pedestrian zone for the occasion, the atmosphere started early. At the end of the afternoon, music was already resonating in the surroundings. We can feel that the Hannutois are ready to party. But before that, we must first hope for a small miracle on the Düsseldorf pitch against the French.
The fateful hour arrives, the pre-match atmosphere is hot, worthy of an electro festival. A DJ ignites the crowd who have respected the black-yellow-red “dress code”, from makeup to flags, jerseys, scarves and even wigs. In the crowd, it is the youth that prevails, undoubtedly a double good opportunity to come and celebrate the end of exams. In the front row, a young French supporter has made the affront of coming with the jersey of the double champions.
A few minutes before the match, when the players enter the scene, the atmosphere is confident. “We will win”we hear here. “We will take revenge”we can hear it there. The pressure begins to rise, the audience to stamp its feet. The Brabançonne resounds and the square sings the patriotic song.
“It will fit”
It is 6 p.m. The whistle is blown, the match is on. The square is silent, concentrated, only the voices of Vincent Langendries and Philippe Albert resound against a stadium atmosphere emanating from the speakers. The Blues quickly find themselves in the Reds’ zone, the faces are already worried, but the clearance of the defenders makes the crowd scream. In the heart of the square, another screen. Traffic is difficult there. On the sides, the cafés of the square have also set up their devices. The tables there are also well filled. The police, in number and in the background, keep a close watch.
15th minute of play, a counterattack gives hope for the first time, the crowd shouts and begins to believe that it is possible, so balanced was the match. The repeated cards for the French protagonists make the crowd shout with hope, as if a goal had been scored. In the 26th minute, first big chance, the crowd is on fire and seems satisfied with what it sees. Confidence is there. “We’re going to win, it’s going to go in,” a supporter shouts. Shortly before half-time, a French opportunity calms the public’s ardor. “We would be more comfortable defending, like them in 2018.” However, they are rather unanimous in saying that Koen Casteels is a good goalkeeper. “We have confidence.”
At half-time, the match is still 0-0. The crowd disperses to drink again. The air is getting cooler, there is fear of rain because the sky is threatening. The pump is working non-stop and the beers are being sold in chains. On the platform, the aperitifs fill the tables. The atmosphere is warm.
When the game resumed, the atmosphere was still tense and the square was still surprisingly calm. The atmosphere in the stadium could be heard so loudly through the loudspeakers that it was as if you were there, in Düsseldorf. The two French chances after barely two minutes did not help. In the 60th minute, the best chance presented itself and the square shook. It regained hope after a few missed chances by the opponent. “Luckily for us, they miss a lot”chants a supporter. A new Belgian opportunity presents itself. “We have few, but it’s framed!”
The crowd starts to get excited as the final 20 minutes begin. Hands clap in time. Everyone shouts as each ball is sent towards the French goal.
But the card in the 75th minute goes badly. The crowd screams with rage. Bird words fly. In the 82nd minute, hope returns to De Bruyne’s acceleration. The whole place shouts the well-known rhythm “All together”. Hope is not dead, far from it. Everyone believes in it.
Like a déjà vu
And then, in the 84th minute, the dreaded moment arrives. The square is no longer in joy. Heads are being pulled. There are five minutes left in the game, many say it is already over. To top it all off, the sun reappears. However, the last chances leave doubts hanging. “Come on guys, let’s do it!” But in vain. The three whistles sound and the Plaza remains just as silent as during the match… but not for long. “We’re going to drink, eh, that’s the advantage here. If we win and we’re happy, we drink; if we lose and we’re sad, we drink.”laughs a slightly dejected supporter.
Despite the defeat, many people stayed for the rest of the musical entertainment. The Plaza de Hannut will remain on the Grand-Place until the end of the Euro and will still broadcast many matches.
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