France’s World Cup Semifinal Exit
France faced a significant setback in the World Cup semifinal, losing 2-0 to Spain. This defeat prevented France from reaching a third consecutive World Cup final. The match saw Spain‘s defence effectively neutralise key French players, including Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé, while scoring a goal in each half to secure their advancement to the final.
The first goal for Spain came from a penalty kick, which became a point of contention after the match. Lamine Yamal drew contact in the box from Lucas Digne, leading to the penalty call. This incident occurred when Yamal did not possess the ball, making the decision difficult for France to accept.
Deschamps Questions Officiating
Following the semifinal loss, France coach Didier Deschamps expressed his dissatisfaction with the officiating. When questioned about the referee’s performance, Deschamps indicated that he believed the referee, Iván Barton of El Salvador, might not have been at the required level for a World Cup semifinal match. He stated, “Now, I’m asking you, and I’m not going to answer it: I don’t want to come across as a whiner because we lost, but did tonight’s referee have the level to officiate a World Cup semifinal?”
Deschamps clarified that his concerns were not limited to the initial penalty call but stemmed from an “accumulation of things” throughout the game. The penalty incident involved Digne attempting to clear an errant Spanish cross, and as he turned, he made contact with Yamal, who had sprinted in from his blindside. Despite Yamal not having possession, the contact in the box led to the penalty, which Mikel Oyarzabal converted, giving Spain the lead.
This marked the first time France had trailed in the tournament. Deschamps, who has coached France for 14 years and led them to the World Cup title in 2018, will conclude his tenure after the tournament, with Saturday’s third-place game being his last. The loss was a tough exit for France, who many considered favourites in the competition.
Mbappé’s Assessment and Golden Boot Race
Kylian Mbappé, a prominent figure in this year’s World Cup, acknowledged that France‘s performance was not sufficient to reach the final. He stated, “At the end of the day, you take all the glory when you win. When you don’t win … it’s part of the game. As the captain, I have to take all the responsibility, and I have no problem with that. We wanted to go to the final. We didn’t go.”
Mbappé had limited opportunities during the match, recording only 15 touches in the first half, the fewest among the forwards. His most notable moment, aside from his play, was attempting to convince referee Ivan Barton to overturn the penalty decision that led to Spain‘s first goal. His best scoring chance came in the 67th minute, but his shot deflected off Marc Cucurella and went wide, by which point Spain already held a two-goal advantage.
Mbappé also commented on Spain‘s playing style, noting, “It’s a team who loves to have control of the game, control of the ball. That’s what we let them do. We let the midfield too much time to play, and at the end of the day they had quality to play. It’s difficult when you don’t change the play of Spain. We weren’t at the level to go to the final.”
Despite the team’s exit from the final, Mbappé remains in contention for the Golden Boot award, currently tied with Lionel Messi with eight goals each in the tournament. Mbappé holds a tiebreaker advantage with a 3-2 lead in assists. France will participate in the third-place match on Saturday in Miami Gardens, Florida, while Spain will compete in the final in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Mbappé received a yellow card in the 86th minute after a collision with Unai Simón, the Spain goalkeeper. He had started the semifinal match after being substituted in the 77th minute of France‘s 2-0 quarterfinal victory over Morocco, where he scored his eighth goal of the tournament.
Mbappé also scored eight goals four years ago in Qatar, where France lost to Messi and Argentina in a penalty shootout in the final. France previously won the World Cup eight years ago in Russia. Spain‘s midfielder Rodri highlighted the importance of focus in their win, stating, “They (France) can punish you at every single moment, so I think the focus in every single minute was key in this game. Unbelievable effort by everyone.”
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Source: sports.yahoo.com
Chloe Tremblay is the Sports Reporter at CasinoNews, covering basketball, tennis and athletics with nine years of reporting experience. She reported on the Raptors' rise and two Olympic cycles. She holds a degree in Journalism from Concordia University. Based in Montreal, she plays recreational basketball and follows track athletics. “The best stories come from the athletes everyone overlooks.”
