Gotta admit I've not seen much of Theo Hernandez but from what I have he seems very suspect defensively.
Well he isnt even the best full back in his family, the French Phil Nevile if you like.
This is France's 7th World Cup semi final. IF it takes England another one before we get to a final, like it did France we might get there by about 2042.
Morocco are making more of a game of it but the French look dangerous every time they attack. Think they will get one or two more before this game is out.
Should we really be surprised that Argentina made the WC Final? Much as been made of the Saudi defeat but they fell asleep for five minutes and paid for it by conceding two goals. Interestingly, they had the same spell of a lack of concentration late on against the Netherlands when they let in two in seven minutes. The only other goal they've conceded in the tournament was an own goal from a deflected shot that wasn't heading anywhere near the goal.
The Saudi loss is their only defeat in the last 42 games and that run dates back over three years to 6th July 2019. In that time they've played the World ranked number one, Brazil, three times and beaten them twice and drawn the other one and didn't concede a single goal in those matches. By comparison, France (assuming they make the Final) have lost four of their last 11, kept just one clean sheet in that time and conceded in every one of this WC. Ignoring any bias they were extremely lucky to beat us too.
Messi has carried them to the Final but a one man team doesn't lose just one game from 42 and if they can keep their concentration at the back I think they will win. With or without Messi making the difference.
Yeah, if we forget the four goals they conceded when they fell asleep for a bit and the own goal, they have been defensively sound.
In other news, Harry Kane has been exceptional from the penalty spot this tournament apart from when he had that one moment when he lost concentration and blasted one over the bar.
That was a 10 race between Mbappe and the defender. Defender had a 5m head start. Mbappe won by a metre. He really is insanely fast.
Massive let off with the resulting Giroud miss.
Often wonder if Mbappe will end up having similar injury issues to Owen
One nasty hamstring injury could really ruin him. Always a risk with pacy players. He's not in their bracket yet anyway, but hard to see him having the length of career at the very top that Messi and Ronaldo have had, although to be fair Ronaldo somewhat reinvented himself as his pace and athleticism started to fade a bit.
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This is France's 7th World Cup semi final. IF it takes England another one before we get to a final, like it did France we might get there by about 2042.
Massive let off with the resulting Giroud miss.
France getting very lucky again.
Very good half of football - glad Morocco didn't crumble after losing that early goal.
At best it's just a clean tackle by Hernandez, definitely not a foul and a yellow card for Morocco.