France secures semifinal berth
France has made history by becoming only the third national team to reach the semifinals in three consecutive World Cup tournaments. This achievement places them alongside football powerhouses Germany and Brazil. Germany accomplished this feat four times between 2002 and 2014, while Brazil did so three times between 1994 and 2002. France’s latest victory came against Morocco, with a 2-0 win in the quarterfinal match held at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Boston, on Thursday night.
The goals that sealed France’s comfortable victory were scored by Kylian Mbappé in the 60th minute and Ousmane Dembélé six minutes later. This win propels France into the semifinal, where they are set to face the winner of the match between Spain and Belgium in Dallas next Tuesday. France’s journey in this tournament has been marked by dominance, as they are the only team to have won all five of their matches without requiring extra time, showcasing the consistent performance of Didier Deschamps‘ side from the start of the group stage.
The quarterfinal encounter was a rematch of the 2022 World Cup semifinal in Qatar, where France also defeated Morocco by the same scoreline. Four years later, the outcome remained identical, though Morocco approached this game with renewed confidence, having previously beaten Canada and challenged France’s captain with Yassine Bounou‘s penalty heroics.
Tactical evolution under Deschamps
While the scorelines against Morocco in both 2022 and 2026 were identical, the tactical approach adopted by Didier Deschamps has evolved significantly. In the 2022 semifinal, Deschamps employed a pragmatic style, focusing on blunting Morocco’s attacks in a tightly contested match in Qatar. Les Bleus secured that victory by converting two of their three shots on target, effectively containing Morocco’s breakout team.
However, in the recent match in Boston, Deschamps showcased a vastly different style, emphasizing a free-flowing attacking line. This tactical reinvention was evident as a one-two punch from Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé propelled the team into the semifinals. By halftime in Boston, France had registered four times as many attempts on Yassine Bounou’s goal compared to their entire match in 2022. Despite this increased attacking intent, France experienced moments of frustration during the first half.
A high pressing line, a notable stylistic innovation for recent France teams, kept Morocco on the defensive for much of the first half. Without an attacking focal point due to Ismael Saibari‘s absence, the Atlas Lions found little relief from the French onslaught and offered minimal threat themselves. There were initial concerns that the demanding win over Paraguay five days prior might have hindered the momentum of the French attack, which had been scoring at a rate of over three goals per game before that match. The combative Paraguayan defense had left France struggling for ideas, leading to a perception that a blueprint for frustrating Les Bleus had been established.
The aftermath of the Paraguay match, including verbal attacks aimed at Mbappé by Paraguayan senator Celeste Amarilla, had lingered. Deschamps, however, had stated before the Morocco match that their opponent would be Morocco, not the referee. Although France benefited from more balanced officiating and a less provocative opponent compared to their previous battle in Philadelphia, Morocco’s defense still presented a formidable challenge. A sense of exasperation grew in the first half as Bounou denied Désiré Doué, and the French forwards struggled to connect. A three-minute delay before Mbappé’s penalty midway through the half further added to France’s irritation.
Key moments and future challenges
Unlike the Paraguay defense, Morocco adopted a less conservative approach, which allowed Mbappé to find an opening behind his club teammate Achraf Hakimi, leading to the penalty. The captain then created space for himself at the edge of the box before breaking the deadlock on the hour mark. Similar to the match against Sweden, Mbappé’s goal opened the scoring after a period of somewhat wasteful finishing. Dembélé’s strike minutes later seemed to signal a flood of goals, but a heel issue led to Mbappé’s early departure, disrupting France’s attacking rhythm.
France concluded the match with less possession than their opponents, a pattern seen in their previous encounter. However, the momentum of the game never appeared to shift against them this time. In midfield, Manu Koné‘s energetic performance likely secured him a starting spot that had been under debate, easing concerns about Aurélien Tchouaméni‘s fitness issues. The French defense has faced minimal pressure over the last three hours of play, a situation that suits Les Bleus given William Saliba‘s ongoing back problems. This means they are entering uncharted territory in the final four, as both the Spanish and Belgian attacks are expected to be more incisive and less forgiving than any opponents they have faced so far.
Morocco was consistently pushed back as France effectively contained the strongest team they had encountered in the tournament up to that point. Despite some struggles in front of goal, Les Bleus rarely felt threatened by their opponents. Adrien Rabiot noted after the match that they did not perceive Morocco as dangerous even when they had possession. France’s attack, not for the first time in this World Cup, required numerous chances before finally scoring. While the interplay between Mbappé, Dembélé, and Michael Olise is strong, the sheer volume of chances created has sometimes overshadowed their finishing accuracy.
In his pre-match press conference, Deschamps acknowledged that his team could still improve their goal-scoring efficiency, emphasizing the need for clinical finishing against higher-quality opponents. As Les Bleus prepare to leave the East Coast for their semifinal match in Dallas, it marks a departure from their established comfort zone both on and off the pitch. However, they appear prepared to meet any challenge that lies ahead.
Mbappé was substituted in the 77th minute after a brief moment on the ground but left the field under his own power, providing relief for France ahead of the semifinal. His goal on Thursday was his eighth of the tournament, placing him at the top of the Golden Boot standings alongside Lionel Messi. France, having won the World Cup in 2018 and reached the final in 2022, is now 180 minutes away from potentially becoming world champions once again.
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Source: theguardian.com
