France World Cup France take one step closer to yet another FIFA World Cup victory with a 2-0 semi-final win over Morocco. Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele led the way as Didier Deschamps’ side looked like the best team remaining at the tournament. Les Bleus have improved their World Cup credentials after having six successive wins and strong displays both up and down the field, and are now two wins away from a possible historic third World Cup title.
France, who dominated the ball from the first whistle, made no mistake as they set the tempo and set the play. Morocco were unable to match the speed, any ferocity and inventive power of the French attack and spent much of the match in their own half of the field. France gathered multiple opportunities in the first 45 minutes, but couldn’t break through until after the deadline.
Mbappe, who had seen a previous penalty saved, had the best of intentions with his first shot and netted the opening goal which saved a penalty earlier. Of course, his willpower brought out his importance in world football. The game was still only minutes old and the Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele finished it off minutes later with a second for France to make it all but impossible for the Moroccans to recover. France were undoubtedly on top with one goal in the 42 games played African side offered only one inside the penalty area.
France have gone 16-0 in the game and are the top-goal side into the remaining quarter-finals. As for defense, they’ve given up just two goals in six games, which is just as impressive. Such a match rate of attack and defence is now one of the key trait for Didier Deschamps’ squads.
A great example for everyone to follow. His eighth goal of the tournament puts him tied for the Golden Boot with Lionel Messi, who has a better assists count. His leadership, pace and ingenuity for change is the most serious problem on the international scene far beyond the mere numbers.
Dembele has also had one of his best ever shows in his first appearance in Sweden. France will only have two players achieve the feat of scoring five or more goals in the same FIFA World Cup, that of Brazil in the year 2002. Their working relationship has proven to be one of the stand out success stories in this tournament, running around at speed, always with something creative and clinical in their arms when there is a shot.
But France’s power doesn’t lie in just the two star forwards. Deschamps has abundance of attacking talent to play with and therefore can rotate them without compromising on quality. Behind the wheel are the dangerously diligent Michael Olise, Bradley Barcola, Desire Doue as well as Jean-Philippe Mateta who are all waiting in the wings in case one of their options is the right one.
Apart from that, this is Didier Deschamps’ final game as France manager. Under his leadership, since 2012, he has assembled one of the most reliable international squads ever. In his tenure, France not only clinched the 2018 FIFA World Cup but also advanced to the 2022 World Cup quarterfinals, where they will play Argentina then Spain. Another appearance in the final would further cement his legacy as one of football’s greatest international managers.
Former France midfielder Patrick Vieira thinks if they do manage to win the pub up then they “can become the his lot of anybody that has come before them”. It’s a side with remarkable youth soon to be complemented with world-class experience, and with its wonderful squad depth, it turns many people’s heads and will likely become the very best France side ever.
France will now have to wait and see against whom they are facing in the semi-finals and Spain look to be amongst the local favourites to debut their attack. The Spanish side hold quality of their own in-house as well as exciting young talent that can cause problems but France might seem more complete. They are able to dominate possession, defend competitively and punish with quick returns and flares for outstanding decisions, they are possibly the well-rounded team.
France overcame Senegal, Iraq, Norway, Sweden, Paraguay and Morocco to get to the semi-finals, each win adding fuel to the fire that it has to contend with—France will be in the World Cup final again! Each knockout game poses new stress, but France have been extremely calm and grown-up in the tournament.
Les Bleus are just two games away from football history. One more win will put them in a third-straight FIFA World Cup final, and if they can nail it down, they’ll clinch a third world championship, and bolster the case that this is the best team French soccer has ever produced. If they keep continuing at the level they did, it may be too difficult to halt the World Cup charge on France.
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