Stronger than Argentina, Thierry Henry’s Blues reach the semi-finals

Facing one of the toughest opponents in the tournament, the players of the French Olympic football team scored a big win (1-0) on Friday in the quarter-finals in Bordeaux. They will face Egypt on Monday in Lyon.

A success as enjoyable as it was important. France eliminated Argentina in the quarter-finals of the men’s Olympic football tournament (1-0), Friday, August 2, in Bordeaux. By offering an attractive game in a stadium heated to white heat by the rivalry with this other great football nation and by the exploits of French athletes on other Olympic sites, Thierry Henry’s players took a big step towards a potential medal.

A single goal was enough for them to accomplish their mission. They did not need to move heaven and earth to find the flaw against the Albiceleste. Jean-Philippe Mateta scored in the 5th minute of play. Perhaps uninhibited by his goal against New Zealand three days earlier, the Crystal Palace striker perfectly headed home a corner from Michael Olise to put the Blues in front on their first opportunity.

The conditions were perfect to shine from the start. The stifling heat of the Côte d’Azur had given way to the mildness of the South-West. The stands were eager to watch the joust between these two nations who had become rivals and almost enemies on the sports fields. Heated to white heat by the rain of medals that fell in swimming in the minutes before kick-off, they made a racket that the group matches, in a holiday atmosphere, in the shadow of the great Parisian machine, could not have predicted. The Bordeaux stadium, whose resident club has just been relegated to National 2, took full advantage before a potential blank season.

After a very good first 25 minutes, where Mateta almost doubled the lead (20th), the Blues lost their dominance. Carried by creative and dynamic players, the Argentinians woke up, but goalkeeper Guillaume Restes flew away on the first shot on target from the opposition, signed by Ezequiel Fernandez (28th). Behind, the frame almost always eluded Javier Mascherano’s protégés.

We will remember two big situations concluded by shots in the stands, for Giuliano Simeone, however alone at the second post (36th), then Julian Alvarez in the second period (66th). The Blues suffered, but held on with courage and solidarity, like the defensive work of captain Alexandre Lacazette, applauded when he came off (80th). After four matches and 36 shots suffered, they still have not conceded a single goal in this tournament.

They thought they had killed the suspense by scoring in the 84th minute through Michael Olise, but the VAR decided to disallow the goal, considering that Maghnes Akliouche had committed a foul in the construction of the opportunity. This ultimately only served to make the celebrations more expressive at the final whistle. Before imagining themselves as golden, like their glorious predecessors of 1984, they will have to dismiss Egypt, who qualified for the semi-finals after an interminable match against Paraguay concluded on penalties (1-1, 5-4 on penalties). The semi-final will take place on Monday in Lyon.