Semifinals: France versus Morocco

France was the superior team going into this match, but Morocco was a fan favorite. Morocco had already had two upsets against Spain and Portugal to make their way to the semifinals on Dec. 14, and they were the first African team ever to make it to a World Cup semifinal. France had ruined the plans of England with their 2-1 win in the quarterfinals on their way to this semifinal match. France had enjoyed success in their World Cup so far, but they needed to up their game and be consistent in making goals off of  good chances to ensure the win against Morocco.

I was in AP Chemistry when the teams played, so I nearly forgot that there was a game that day, but Yousef Halabi streamed it on our class’ projector. I still missed the French goal in the fourth minute, which was an Mbappé shot blocked by two Moroccan players before Theo Hernández kicked the ball to reflect it off the ground and scored the goal, making it 1-0, France.

By the end of the first half, both sides had had many chances to score, climaxing at the near end of the half. There was a near goal when Morocco almost hit a skilled bicycle shot to the left post, but it hit the post and the French goalie, Hugo Lloris, grabbed it. Another chance lost at the end of the half, and France was up, 1-0.

After halftime, Morocco made a number of attempts, but none resulted in any goals. The French defense was still on their toes, pushed by Morocco’s aggressive offense. Morocco was not feeling the pressure of being down by one and showed it. They still made chances but didn’t score anything. I do think that France was starting to slip slightly on how they managed Moroccan pressure. Morocco needed to follow through with their given opportunities, but they still kept up despite being down by one goal. 

In the 79th minute, Kolo Muani took a failed shot attempted by Mbappé to put France up by two for the end of the half. Muani’s goal was the final nail in the coffin for Morocco’s dream to reach the finals. In the end, France won. 

France did what they needed to do to win this game, and they had the asset of many players who are top in their clubs, giving them an advantage as a team. Morocco’s loss was heartbreaking for their supporters, but it was not the end. They still have the opportunity to extend their legacy and get third against Croatia in their next game.