Thibaut Courtois defends Senne Lammens after error costs Belgium in World Cup defeat

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/real-madrid/W8mj7MDD/"]Real Madrid[/a] star [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/courtois-thibaut/MVExOq3n/"]Courtois[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/belgium-GbB957na/spain-bLyo6mco/?mid=MHGPEKi5"]exited the game in the 71st minute[/a] after complaining of a muscular problem, making way for 24-year-old understudy [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lammens-senne/UFssg7X4/"]Lammens[/a] at the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.[/p][p]But Lammens' appearance off the bench ended in calamity, when he failed to deal with a long-range strike from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/cubarsi-pau/UgTrNwCF/"]Pau Cubarsi[/a], and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/merino-mikel/QFt86bm1/"]Mikel Merino[/a] pounced to blast in an 88th-minute winner for Spain.[/p][p]Courtois, 34, who revealed to reporters that he had wanted to stay on the field before being subbed off, offered sympathy to Lammens.[/p][p]"[b]I gave him a big hug. He's a great goalkeeper. You only get stronger from this,[/b]" Courtois said of his teammate.[/p][p]"[b]Eventually you cannot say much more to him or give him much more advice. He is a strong guy, strong personality. I'm sure he'll be fine.[/b][/p][p]"[b]You know, he will have some holidays and then regroup in [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/manchester-united/ppjDR086/"]Manchester[/a] and have a great season.[/b]"[/p][embed guid="c79cf553-f52b-40a0-abe1-b9b13b6f9477" url="https://x.com/Flashscorecom/status/2075693695370768451?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]Courtois meanwhile revealed he had felt pain in his right leg early in the second half after a clearance and had wanted to stay on the field before being hooked by Belgium manager Rudi Garcia.[/p][p]"[b]Obviously, I wanted to continue, but the coach wanted someone 100%,[/b]" Courtois said.[/p][p]"[b]I wanted to try to play maybe five or 10 minutes because I was feeling good. I was making saves, and I was not disturbed to make those saves.[/b][/p][p]"[b]So that's a decision of the coach, and that's not a problem.[/b][/p][p]"[b]Obviously you're not happy when you have to leave a quarter-final of a World Cup. But yeah, sometimes it is what it is. You can't change it.[/b]"[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/belgium/GbB957na/"]Belgium[/a] defender [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mechele-brandon/6k4GFuni/"]Brandon Mechele[/a] also expressed support for Lammens.[/p][p]"[b]It's a learning moment for him,[/b]" Mechele said. "[b]It was not the most easy ball. I think it bounces just in front of him. And we as defenders could have helped him by following up maybe more.[/b][/p][p]"[b]So he he needs to learn from this, and we as a group we have to be there for each other and help each other.[/b]"[/p]