“For us it’s an added challenge,” said Meunier, noting he understood how feelings of patriotism can inspire players.
“I should imagine some of Iran’s players had members of their families affected by the war,” he added, referring to the conflict that began when the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran in February.
Despite struggles in their 1-1 draw with Egypt, Garcia’s Belgium side enter Sunday’s clash full of confidence and their ability to fight back after falling behind in their Group G opener demonstrated a team that can adapt, Garcia said.
“We were not in the right position and we adjusted to this,” he added.
Belgium face an Iran side who also picked up a point from their opening match after a 2-2 draw with New Zealand and Garcia faces a delicate balancing act with his squad of skilled veterans and emerging talents.
“We need to be at 100 percent of our capacity tomorrow to beat them,” said Garcia, who is carefully managing striker Romelu Lukaku’s playing time.
The powerful centre forward showed he can break down tough defences against Egypt, Garcia said, but “we need to be careful about not wearing him out.“
Lukaku was brought on for the final 25 minutes of Belgium’s opener, but proved decisive in pressuring the Egypt defence into conceding an own goal.
“We do need to be careful because we could be tempted to play him more than he could safely play, and Belgium want him for the entire tournament,” Garcia said.
The Belgians are also hoping for better pitch conditions in Los Angeles after struggling with the grass in Seattle, where high temperatures meant the surface dried quickly and “the balls were quite sticky.”
Meunier noted the Los Angeles pitch looked better: “The grass is shorter, so the conditions are (better) for a match that should be faster.“
Meunier was asked a question about his mother’s support, which he said had been vital for him growing up.
“She was my manager when I was young. Although my mom doesn’t know much about football, despite the years, she was always by my side,” said a smiling Meunier.
“It’s nice to be able to talk about one’s mom.“
