Indestructible and courageous, the France team triumphed in a “Crunch” of immense intensity against England by the score of 2-1 on Saturday, and at the same time reached the semi-finals of the World Cup. The French team will continue to dream, from Wednesday against Morocco, of a new planetary final, the last step towards an improbable double.
The appetite of the world champions seems limitless: for their first big meeting of the tournament, the Blues defeated an unhappy England, with the youth of Aurélien Tchouaméni and the experience of Olivier Giroud. Youth and experience, it is the perfect alloy of the Blues version 2022, certainly more feverish than in 2018 but perhaps a little more carefree.
“The state of mind really reminds me of that of 2018. These smiles, this joy on the faces, it reminds of beautiful things”, savored Giroud.
Will the feast continue against the Moroccans on Wednesday? Present in the last four for the second time in a row at the World Cup, as in 1982 and 1986, Kylian Mbappé’s France can no longer hide. She is favorite to reach a second world final in four and a half years.
Kane’s failure
A very British gloom had however enveloped Doha on Saturday, the cooler day of this World Cup, and a few drops of rain had even mixed with the sandy dust of the emirate, in the morning.
But the Blues swept away this bad omen with a setback, or rather an authoritarian cannonball from Tchouaméni, author of a precious goal from the start in the 17th minute of play, and a celebration worthy of Paul Pogba, his role model.
Harry Kane equalized well from the penalty spot after 54 minutes but missed a second in the 84th minute against his friend Hugo Lloris, watching his ball fly away with England’s trophy dreams, 16 months after the Euro lost at home in the final… on penalties.
France’s dreams, on the other hand, remain intact, almost as much as Giroud’s rage to win, unfazed to score his 53rd goal in Blue, with a header.
It is not the goal of the record in Blue – he has held it since the eighth – but, scored in the 78th minute, it is undoubtedly the most important of his career, at 36 years old. “It was an indescribable emotion,” he said.
France is unsinkable. Despite the numerous injuries, the defensive imbalances and two gross errors by Tchouaméni and Theo Hernandez, at fault on both penalties, Didier Deschamps’ team is still there, for a seventh world semi-final in its history.
“Quality is not enough, you also need the mind, perhaps a little experience”, smiled Deschamps, underlining “a collective force that emerges”.
Lloris record and decisive
This place in the last four, the objective set by the Federation, will undoubtedly ensure a contract extension for Deschamps, but it is not the priority at the moment.
The dream of a double is indeed approaching, before a duel against the Moroccans, supported in Qatar by a tide of supporters, and further afield by all of Africa and the Arab world as a whole.
This surprise opposition, unprecedented in major competition, is an opportunity for Mbappé to meet his best friend from Paris SG, Achraf Hakimi. But for the star of the Blues, the challenge will be above all to get his head back, after an insignificant performance, his first in the tournament.
In the same al-Bayt stadium in al-Khor, on Wednesday evening, the Blues will have their bearings, but also a heavy status to wear with a view to the final on December 18, against Lionel Messi’s Argentina or Luka’s Croatia Modric, two potential remakes of the 2018 Russian epic.
The Three Lions and their captain Kane, inconsolable, will regret not having been able to conclude their opportunities, numerous, in this unbreathable duel of neighbors, the first act of a nascent rivalry.
The young generation of Bukayo Saka, Phil Foden, Jude Bellingham or Marcus Rashford still comes up against its glass ceiling, this inability to sign a benchmark victory in major competition, against a world leader, under the mandate of Gareth Southgate.
They will have to bow very low in front of Lloris, “weak point” of the Blues according to the English press, but author of six stops on Saturday. A hell of a response, the evening of his 143rd selection, a record under the jersey with two stars. But the captain would trade all those records for a third star…