Frenchmen earn B+ in first real test
Photo credit: Robbie Mehling/Soc Takes
There were several questions involving the Frenchmen during the group stage. The potential of France was not in question, but the performance as a squad left some doubts.
Argentina was a wounded giant; the group stage for Messi and friends made them suffer in great magnitude. And in the quest of reconciliation with history, Argentina had an obligation to defeat a rejuvenated France, a France who also had a debt with modern football.
When you have two teams fearless of the outcome, with the necessity to get the result, the intensity of the game increases, the spaces are open and the drama is endless.
Mbappe exhibited Argentina’s vulnerabilities, a deficient midfield mechanism and poor defensive coordination. A fast transition early during the game gained a penalty kick for France that Griezmann converted.
However, Argentina found hope in Di Maria’s left foot, and joy in Gabriel Mercado’s deflection. For the first time in this World Cup, France was behind on the scoreboard. But France being at a disadvantage brewed more hunger.
Wildlife experts say you should never disturb a predator while it’s eating, something that Argentina did. Pavard scored the equalizer with a majestic touch and Mbappe put France in advantage, then sealed the 4-2 scoreline with another run at the back of the defenders. Sergio Aguero connected a header to shorten the difference, but the miracle didn’t happen.
France proposed and deserved, reacted and accomplished. They were superior to Argentina not by possessing or managing the game, by inflicting more damage in the open wound.
Rojo, Otamendi, and Mercado had problems during all the group stage games. Croatia leveraged the flanks, Iceland took advantage of the counter and Nigeria created difficulties with speed. France did all three of those things in a single game.
The French team is shaping up, but this time distributing the responsibilities. The main difference between today’s France and the 2016 version is the team doesn’t play under the shadow of one footballer. Griezmann used to be the man on whom the French squad depended. Now, the squad is even broader.
France, in 2018, shows much more variation to combat struggle. They also seem to act better as a team in single-elimination matches.
Raymond Domenech’s team will face Uruguay in the quarterfinals, a difficult task due to the opposite styles of football. France hasn’t advanced beyond the quarterfinals since the 2006 World Cup; however, this generation is unquestionably the best since the 1998 World Cup champions.
Follow Luis on Twitter: @LFulloa.
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