Belgium and Egypt kicked off their World Cup campaigns with a hard-fought 1-1 draw, heating up Group G in earnest. A crowd of 66,775 watched under the intense sun of the early North American summer, in a contest that warranted the contentious cooling breaks now universally adopted for this tournament.
The group's headline clash was scheduled as a noon affair under a heat advisory in Seattle, with on-field temperatures reaching 30C (86F) and high, hazy clouds at kick-off. There was scarcely an empty seat, forming a sea of red and white due to the teams' similar colors.
Romelu Lukaku made an instant impact, forcing an own goal to rescue a draw for Belgium against Egypt. The match was a tense battle, with both sides creating chances but ultimately sharing the points.
