Mbappé's penalty miss on the anniversary of July 9, 2006, had the feel of a curse. But a France side that was too strong booked their ticket to the World Cup semi-final and will return to the field on July 14, aiming to celebrate Bastille Day at the expense of Spain or Belgium .
Les Bleus dominated a match by continuously besieging the Moroccan goal , until not even the superpowers of a deluxe Bono could prevent the inevitable. In Boston, the match ended 2-0 to the favorites , and only an epic performance from the North African goalkeeper held the French side back for half the match, before they capitulated in the second half.
The victory was won by Mbappé and Dembelé, who scored two goals in quick succession , stunning the Atlas Lions, who had never really threatened. Deschamps can count on a solid team that, after six games, shows no signs of slowing down: 16 goals scored and only 2 conceded, a performance typical of a team aiming for a third consecutive final and a different outcome than the one four years ago.
The first half
The first half was played out in a one-goal affair, with Bono holding off the entire French effort. Mbappé entered the game after three minutes with a low shot from outside the box, but the Moroccan goalkeeper dived and put it out for a corner. From the corner, Upamecano headed in, but a brilliant save from Bounou on the goal line silenced the French's roar. Morocco let France dominate the game and were unable to find any impact up front, even wasting a few set pieces. However, the Atlas Lions filled the gaps well, forcing the Blues to seek out openings with high balls but without finding any convincing opportunities.
Then, midway through the first half, the match heats up. Hakimi steals the ball from his close friend Mbappé, and Morocco enters the penalty area for the first time, without any particular ambition. A minute later, the Moroccan is subjected to a tough challenge from Doué, which sparks a French counterattack. Mbappé enters the box and Mazraoui brings him down. It's a penalty, but in a face-off with Bono, the Moroccan goalkeeper, who does well to stay on his feet until the very end, prevails. After the cooling-off, it's a French solo effort. Doué steals another ball, advances, gets a chance, and Bono also hypnotizes him. And, in added time, the crossbar comes to the Moroccan goalkeeper's aid, denying Digne a sensational goal from the three-quarter line. Morocco's first shot comes from Hakimi, a free kick completely off target that ends the first half.
The second half
The French went into the locker room with 13 shots. At the start of the second half, Morocco started strongly and began to make their presence felt near Maignan, but without creating any real danger. France took a while to find the key to the situation, until in the 10th minute Olise slalomed the ball to Mbappé, who was offside but fired into the stands. The French leader seemed to have taken a hit from the missed penalty, but four minutes later, following a series of rebounds, he received a ball on the edge of the penalty area and unleashed a perfect curling shot that found the back of the net. It took almost an hour, but the Moroccan wall had opened up. From then on, the harsh tackles on the Real Madrid ace increased, often leaving him on the ground in pain. After yet another foul, Argentine referee Tello issued a yellow card to Diop. Dembelé found the net in the 21st minute with a low shot. After the cooling-off period, the Atlas Lions tried to do more, but the Blues remained unfazed.
Maignan had a few close calls, while at the other end, the Moroccan goalkeeper once again denied Mateta a 3-0 lead. The outcome, however, was never in doubt, as Deschamps, after half an hour, had already recalled Mbappé, who was running out of steam. He'll be needed like air on Tuesday in Dallas.
(Unioneonline)