FOXBOROUGH. The most telling thing is that they barely even look like they’re taking it in, that they don’t even seem to have to make an effort.
Most teams need to tear themselves apart to reach a World Cup semi-final.
France has reached here again without even taking off her dressing gown and slippers.
As the minutes ticked away and the game picture became clearer, the frustrated Moroccan gestures became more and more numerous.
Outstretched arms, exhausted hands.
One player had no passing options, the other was overpowered by the French press, the third was left at the mercy of two of the opposition’s attacking cannons.
What should we do then…? There was nowhere to go.
This is exactly where almost every team that meets this France ends up. Playing against them easily seems so utterly hopeless.
In theory, this Morocco was a formidable force going into a quarter-final. WC semi-finalists last time, and markedly much better since then. They came to Foxborough after some of the best performances of the entire tournament, fueled by a huge wave of national enthusiasm.
Could have played in a tuxedo
And then they were just… out of luck.
No ways forward in the field, no opportunities to whip up the customary speed in his game. Inferior both collectively and individually.
Big star Achraf Hakimi got into almost every situation wrong, in midfield the extremely talented Ayyoub Bouaddi suddenly looked like the inexperienced 18-year-old he actually is.
On the rare occasions the Moroccans even reached the final third, only Saliba and Upamecano closed with a nonchalant curl of the mouth. Dressing gown and slippers…? They could have played this match in a tuxedo and silk bow tie, without even having to take the stuff to the dry cleaners afterwards.
At the other end of the pitch, it didn’t seem to matter that Yassine Bounou built on his formidable penalty kick; all he did was marginally delay the inevitable.
Without even blowing the whistle, France still created 13 finishes already in the first half.
No stress, no worries. If it’s not Mbappé the first time, it will be, as you know, Mbappé the second time. And if it’s not Olise, it will of course be Dembélé.
What tactics help against this?
Des Quatre Fantastiques. You can slow down one or a couple of them on a few occasions, but you can’t keep all four shackled for 90 minutes.
What tactics help against this? Where is even the hope for all the underdogs?
In football there are no impossible games, but in a World Cup quarter-final this is as close as you can get. It kind of doesn’t matter if you miraculously jump 2.37 and hit a personal best when the French have set the bar at 2.51.
A bit of an understatement then, a few dashes of classic French arrogance…? Not with this national team captain.
Didier Deschamps does not break speed records as a driver. No speed warnings are issued here, no unnecessary risks are taken in the curves. Eyes on the road, hands on the steering wheel and cruise control.
On a straight course towards a third World Cup final, it is difficult to come up with criticism or objections. You don’t have to push your Bugatti Chiron all the way up to max. You can more or less drive it with the handbrake on, and it will still be fastest.
Kylian Mbappé substituted with a quarter of an hour remaining, as if to underline the feeling of superiority and total control.
Morocco came into this game with so much pride, confidence and confidence, but less than 90 minutes later they were completely deflated and drained. It would not have been different if Ismael Saibari had been able to start. It would not have mattered if Morocco had managed to keep a clean sheet ten minutes longer.
They could not even become enraged, for there were no hesitations to rage against, no provocations to react to.
Was a completely different challenge
Had the French wanted to, they could have condescendingly patted their opponents on the head – cosmetically passed around the ball to rake in some extra ole – but they finished this match with the same professional respect with which they have completed the entire tournament.
So it was with Africa’s best team, so it was with the tournament’s most dangerous outsiders.
Spain in the semi-finals would be a completely different kind of challenge – the European champions’ basic game is the one ingredient in this championship with the potential to turn into kryptonite – but this far into the tournament it seems the French are formulating new rules of the game.
It is often said that nothing is impossible in football. The unpredictability is so great that even an inferior fighter can score a random hit.
In fact, perhaps it should be said that nothing is impossible, except for the teams facing France.
