Belgium completes the biggest comeback of the World Cup with a game-winning goal in final 20 seconds to beat Japan

Rebecca Blackwell/AP

• Belgium came back from a 2-0 deficit in the World Cup on Monday by scoring three straight goals to beat Japan.
• The final goal came after Belgium stopped a corner kick, then advanced the ball on a counter attack, completing three passes to set up the game-winner.

Belgium completed the biggest comeback of the World Cup on Monday, scoring the final three goals to fight back from a 2-0 deficit against Japan to advance to the quarterfinals.

Tied at 2-2 in stoppage time, Belgium stopped a corner kick from Japan in the 94th minute, with keeper Thibaut Courtois rolling the ball out to midfielder Kevin De Bruyne, who began the counter-attack.

De Bruyne advanced the ball with a beautiful push, making a perfect lead pass to Jan Vertonghen with room to run.

Fox Soccer/Twitter/FIFA

Vertonghen beat Japan to the ball and eventually crossed it back over to the left-hand side of the attack. Belgium forward Romelo Lukaku wisely let the ball go past him, taking a Japan defender with him, and letting Nacer Chadli finish the play with 17 seconds left to play before overtime.

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Game over.

The comeback was a devastating blow to Japan, which against all odds had taken a 2-0 lead in the second half.

Belgium, after winning the match nobody wanted to win, ended up with what some viewed as an easier matchup - Japan over Colombia, which England will face next. Instead, Japan pushed Belgium to the limit on the tougher side of the bracket.