Finance
France, the reigning World Cup champions, won a spirited challenge from Morocco on Wednesday night at Al Bayt Stadium, advancing to the FIFA World Cup final against Argentina on Sunday.
Theo Hernandez’s scrambled fifth-minute goal gave the Les Bleus the lead. Randal Kolo Muani wrapped up matters in the 79th, less than a minute after coming on, after a fine solo from Kylian Mbappe.
France ended the Atlas Lions’ fairytale run in the tournament, with Dider Deschamps’ team attempting to become the first team in 60 years to win back-to-back titles. Only Italy in 1938 and Brazil in 1962 have won consecutive titles.
France is the sixth nation to reach successive World Cup finals, the others being Italy (1934, 1938), Brazil (twice: 1958, 1962 and 1994, 1998, 2002), the Netherlands (1974, 1978), West Germany (1982, 1986, 1990) and Argentina (1986, 1990).
If France wins, Didier Deschamps, who was a player when France won their first World Cup in 1998, will become the only coach to win two World Cups in a row, joining Italy’s Vittorio Pozzo.
Argentina beat 2018 runners-up Croatia 3-0 in the first semi-final on Tuesday, and Lionel Messi now hopes to win the trophy in his fifth and final attempt in a battle with Paris Saint-Germain teammate Mbappe.
After losing the first two World Cup matches between the two countries in 1930 and 1978, France defeated Argentina 4-3 in the last 16 to win the 2018 title.
On Saturday, Morocco and Croatia will compete for third place.
Morocco, backed by a legion of supporters that outnumbered France, were pushed all the way by World Cup wildcards on Wednesday night. The score belies their performance and the game’s closeness.
The first African team to reach a World Cup semi-final resisted the early setbacks of losing key defender Nayef Aguerd to injury after being named to the starting lineup and then conceding an early goal.
Antoine Griezmann has continued to be France’s key player, and his reinvention as a playmaker has been a hot topic at the World Cup. His quick movements create space for others to run into while also keeping him ready to receive the ball. Without a doubt, France’s player of the tournament.
Mbappe’s shot from close to the penalty box was blocked, but the deflection fell to Hernandez at the far post, who acrobatically lashed the ball home to make it 1-0.
The reigning world champions threatened to extend their lead on several occasions, but Morocco managed to cause problems as well, particularly in an excellent period just before the interval in which the Atlas Lions created a string of goal-scoring opportunities.
Morocco responded well to the early goal and had France on the ropes in the early part of the second half. They were aggressive and didn’t back down from taking on the defending champions.
Mbappe’s brilliance was required to break open Morocco’s defense for the second time in the game.
Mbappe miraculously weaves his way past a tangle of legs in the box and gets a shot off, but it is blocked. Kolo Muani receives the deflection and taps in from close range with his first touch of the game, making it 2-0.
France has rarely moved beyond second gear in this World Cup. With the exception of certain periods, such as Wednesday’s game and the quarterfinal against England, they’ve rarely had to dig deep in games. Despite their injuries, they have continued to march.
As a result, the final will be a showdown between Mbappe and Messi, a match within a match.
Source:OCN
