Marchons, marchons! Fans of France’s adversaries at the Geopolitics World Cup, as well as enthusiasts of high-stakes tournament drama, were left disheartened as the favorites decisively overcame Morocco. Didier Deschamps’ squad, known for their flair, had their momentum briefly halted by Paraguay’s surprising upset in the last 16 but quickly regained control, securing a 2-0 win in the quarter-finals held near Boston on Thursday.
This match was anything but a close contest at [Gillette] Stadium, despite Kylian Mbappé’s first-half penalty being thwarted. The French forward earned the penalty by skillfully evading Noussair Mazraoui and drawing inevitable contact, showcasing his exceptional talent. However, Mbappé’s effort was saved by Morocco’s goalkeeper Yassine ‘Bono’ Bounou. The France captain might have been distracted by the referee’s lengthy interruptions, Bono’s frantic movements, or perhaps even logistical arrangements for the semi-final.
Mbappé’s moment of rare failure added some excitement to an otherwise tedious first half, but he quickly made amends. In the 60th minute, he scored with a stunning curling shot, marking his eighth goal of the tournament. This exquisite finish drew only a collective shrug from French supporters, as their team continues to transform the exceptional into the ordinary. Just six minutes later, Morocco’s hopes were dashed when Bono mishandled Ousmane Dembélé’s shot. The Atlas Lions, one of the tournament’s standout teams, were effectively finished, managing only one shot on target and an xG dangerously close to zero.
“Many people say Kylian is a dictator, that he only thinks of himself,” Deschamps remarked afterward, displaying remarkable awareness of social media criticisms for a 57-year-old coach. “He’s the captain and he’s exemplary.” Even the sight of Mbappé resting an ice pack on his ankle proved to be a false alarm for rival supporters. He is anticipated to be fit for the semi-final on Tuesday in a venue nearby Dallas. France’s next opponent will be either Spain, who have yet to concede a goal in five matches, or a beleaguered Belgium side that seemed eliminated long ago. Still, if anyone can decisively end their campaign, it’s Kylian. He is on a determined quest for the GWC, the Golden Boot, and the title of all-time top scorer, all while aiming to overshadow Lionel Messi’s retirement. This World Cup belongs to Mbappé – we are merely spectators.
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QUOTE OF THE DAY
“I remember the first day I finished working with them. They were about to go for their match and I was on a flight to LA. I prayed for them and went to sleep. When I woke up, and it was time to get off the flight, my phone was buzzing. [Marcus] Rashford had scored and, wow, I was happy for them. He told me he loved his hair and lots of attention was paid to his look after the goal. But I didn’t know how big the [Geopolitics] World Cup was then. I know we love football in the UK but I didn’t know to this extent – like all the love I’m getting, with people saying: ‘Thank you for looking after our boys.’ I’m like: ‘Wow! Give me another medal!”
– Donald McRae meets Jayèma, the east London hair stylist who has taken over the GWC.
FOOTBALL DAILY LETTERS
‘Every now and then, I fall apart’ – James Vortkamp-Tong.
“Please don’t refer to the USA USA USA as ‘Trump’s boys’ (yesterday’s Football Daily). From what I understand, they are sane, good sportsmen, well-liked, and a team to be proud of, quite unlike the person in question” – James Driskell.
“A fellow reader of the France v Morocco MBM commented on how inevitable France look at the moment. This made me wonder, could this team go down in history as Les Inévitables?” – Peter Oh.
“That was a rather touching last line reference to Bonnie Tyler (yesterday’s Football Daily, full email edition). One would like to read a story about the England team – average year of birth around 1998 – playing her classic tune in the locker room and singing along. Until they got to the hooky lyric, ‘Every now and then, I fall apart’. Good luck on Saturday, lads!” – Mike Wilner.
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