France Dominates Morocco in Quarterfinals
With a somewhat twisted expression of anticipation, Spain sensed the final confrontation would feature a formidable and lethal France. The reigning European champion understood that, looming in the distance, awaited this vibrant French team that had already claimed two World Cup titles. Morocco was confident of disturbing this certainty, but the duo of Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé extinguished those hopes in a gripping encounter this Thursday. Spain is now aware of what lies ahead if they manage to defeat Belgium on Friday at 21:00, with a scheduled meeting against either France or Morocco set for Tuesday, July 14, which coincides with French national celebrations.
Through sheer force, the two-time world champions overwhelmed Morocco in their quarterfinal match. Only goalkeeper Yassine Bono managed to delay the inevitable for an hour, even saving a penalty shot from leading scorer Mbappé. Unfortunately for Morocco, this matchup proved too daunting, marking their exit from the World Cup for the second consecutive tournament, having experienced a similar fate in the semifinals previously. Despite the loss, it remains a remarkable tournament for the finest African generation of players.
Bono's Heroics and France's Offensive Assault
In Boston, the Moroccan players endured a challenging first half, as France consistently threatened to score from various angles. It would not have been an exaggeration to expect two or three goals by halftime, yet the score remained unchanged. The reason behind this was the extraordinary performance of goalkeeper Yassine Bono, who made several crucial saves. He thwarted a powerful header from Upamecano and barely grazed a shot that struck the crossbar from Digne. Bono also denied two fierce attempts from an electrifying Doué and Mbappé, and most notably, he saved a penalty in the 28th minute from Real Madrid's striker, marking a significant moment as it ended a five-year streak without a miss from the spot for the national team.
France maintained an unyielding assault, pinning Morocco within their defensive zone whenever they had the ball, while counterattacking with relentless intensity. Without the injured Saibari, Morocco lacked a crucial outlet, leaving them vulnerable against Deschamps' well-coordinated side. The first half, along with a brief moment of disbelief at the goalless score, made it clear that Bono could not hold onto this miraculous performance for much longer; ultimately, he could not.
Once the hour mark hit, France's relentless pressure bore fruit within just six minutes through two characteristic actions that showcased their skill: first, Mbappé seized a loose ball in the area and fired a shot to redeem himself after the missed penalty. Shortly after, Dembélé found a central corridor to navigate the ball and scored the second with a strike from the edge of the area that Bono could only graze.
At that point, the match was effectively over. Deschamps subsequently focused on resting the cautioned Koné and the injured Mbappé, who had endured several rough tackles and was icing his right ankle. Nevertheless, it appears that nothing will hinder him from participating in Tuesday's semifinal in Dallas, where Spain hopes to secure their place as well, just as anticipated.
As reported by elperiodico.com.
