France advances to semifinals
France secured a 2-0 victory over Morocco in the World Cup quarterfinals on Thursday. Kylian Mbappé contributed a goal and an assist to the win. The match saw France maintain a significant offensive presence, holding a 21-4 advantage in shots on goal and an 8-1 edge in shots on target throughout the game.
Ousmane Dembélé also scored for France. This win sets up a semifinal clash for France against either Spain or Belgium in Dallas on Tuesday. This marks a continuation of France’s strong performance in the tournament, as they previously defeated Morocco by the same score in the semifinals of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
In that 2022 tournament, Morocco made history as the first African team to reach the semifinals. France is now on track to become only the third nation to participate in the final of three consecutive World Cups.
Mbappé’s performance and key moments
Mbappé’s goal, scored in the 60th minute, marked his 20th World Cup career goal in his 20th tournament match. This achievement places him one goal behind Argentina captain Lionel Messi. Dembélé’s goal, his fifth of the tournament, came in the 66th minute.
Despite his scoring contribution, Mbappé had an earlier penalty kick attempt saved. In the 25th minute, Mbappé was fouled in the box by Morocco defender Noussair Mazraoui, leading to a penalty awarded by referee Facundo Tello. After a video review, Mbappé’s shot towards the right corner was saved by goalkeeper Yassine Bounou.
This was Mbappé’s second penalty attempt in this year’s World Cup, having successfully converted one in France’s 1-0 victory over Paraguay in the round of 16. He also had the first shot on goal of the game in the fourth minute, which went wide right.
Mbappé’s goal came after Morocco failed to clear the ball, allowing him to take a couple of steps forward outside the area before sending a shot just inside the far post. His assist for Dembélé’s goal involved tapping the ball back after receiving a pass, then continuing his run to draw defenders and create space for Dembélé’s shot.
Morocco’s efforts and post-match reactions
Morocco’s coach, Mohamed Ouahbi, expressed disappointment following the match, stating, “We are very disappointed. We wanted to go on.” He also noted issues with transitions when his team had ball possession, which led to their players having to run more while France’s players were in their “comfort zone.”
France was particularly dominant offensively in the first half, with a 13-1 advantage in shots on goal. Morocco’s most notable opportunity in the first half came just before the halftime whistle, when Achraf Hakimi sent a free kick from just outside the box past the right post.
In the 76th minute, Mbappé was taken down and substituted a minute later, and was later seen with an ice pack on his right ankle. However, after the match, he was observed celebrating with his teammates, running and jumping with both shoes on. France will play in Dallas on Tuesday.
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Source: apnews.com
Mason Reed
Sports reporter covering football, basketball and international competitions.