France has secured its place as the first semi-finalist in this year’s World Cup after defeating Morocco. The team, managed by Didier Deschamps, is considered a strong contender for the trophy, having won every game since their opening match against Senegal, which they won 3-1. Their performance has led many to question if any other team can stop them from winning the tournament.
Despite their dominant run, star player Kylian Mbappe missed a penalty during the match against Morocco. However, he later scored a goal, bringing him level with Lionel Messi in the race for the Golden Boot, with both players having eight goals. This incident highlighted a growing trend of goalkeepers successfully countering the ‘stutter’ penalty technique.
France’s formidable squad and tactical evolution
France‘s attacking depth is a significant factor in their success. Beyond Mbappe, the squad includes the current Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele, who has scored five goals, making France the first team since Brazil in 2002 to have two players reach this goal tally. Other notable attackers include Desire Doue, Bradley Barcola, and Rayan Cherki. Michael Olise leads the assist chart with five assists, and his fluidity and passing range are seen as crucial to the team’s offensive capabilities. His inclusion has reportedly transformed France‘s attacking approach, contrasting with their lower goal count of four goals in six games during Euro 2024.
The French squad draws talent from various leagues, with Ligue 1 and the English Premier League each contributing seven players. Paris Saint-Germain supplies five players to the national team, including Bradley Barcola, Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue, Lucas Hernandez, and Warren Zaire-Emery. Kylian Mbappe plays for Real Madrid, while Michael Olise represents Bayern Munich. Real Madrid has three players in the squad, AC Milan and Bayern Munich each have two, and Crystal Palace also has two representatives.
Michael Olise, who moved from Crystal Palace to Bayern Munich in 2024 for a reported $68.5 million plus add-ons, is considered the most valuable player on the French roster by transfer market value. Kylian Mbappe, valued at an estimated $130 million, joined Real Madrid in 2024 on a free transfer after his contract with PSG expired. He was previously acquired by PSG from Monaco in 2017 for a reported $205.7 million.
Goalkeepers adapt to ‘stutter’ penalties
The effectiveness of ‘stutter’ penalties, where a player pauses during their run-up, has been questioned following several misses in the World Cup. The technique is intended to disrupt the goalkeeper’s rhythm and make them commit to a dive early. However, goalkeepers appear to be adapting.
Morocco‘s goalkeeper, Yassine Bounou, notably saved Kylian Mbappe‘s stutter penalty, adding to his career record of four World Cup penalty saves. Bounou has a history of outwitting penalty takers, as seen with Mexico‘s Raul Jimenez, who missed one of his 29 club penalties against him. Other players, including Lionel Messi for Argentina against Austria and Harry Kane for England against Croatia, also missed stutter penalties in the tournament. Kane was granted a retake, which he converted after abandoning the stutter approach.
The discussion around penalties also touched upon the injury of Christian Pulisic, who revealed he sustained a bone bruise and microfracture in his right leg during the match against Belgium. This injury will sideline him for several weeks, providing him with time to rest after a demanding season for both his club, AC Milan, and the national team.
The next matches will see the remaining six quarter-finalists compete, with Spain and Belgium scheduled to play later today.
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Source: nytimes.com
Sam Whitlock is a Sports News Writer at News-GB.org. He moved from local newspapers into digital sport. He focuses on rugby union, golf and boxing and is known for clear, deadline-driven reporting. He holds a degree in Journalism from the University of Gloucestershire and completed an NCTJ diploma. Now based in Gloucester, he plays amateur rugby and follows the fight game. “Clarity beats cleverness in breaking sport news.”