News all year round
FIFA World Cup

FRANCE IS FIRST INTO SEMIFINALS, BEATING URUGUAY BEFORE A BIGGER TEST

France advanced to the semifinals of the World Cup for the second time since winning the title on home soil in 1998, clinically dispatching an undermanned Uruguay, 2-0, at Nizhny Novgorod, Russia.

France will play the winner of Friday’s second quarterfinal, Brazil vs. Belgium, on Tuesday in St. Petersburg. Raphael Varane and Antoine Griezmann scored for France, the former on a header from a free kick and the latter on a goalkeeping blunder by Uruguay’s Fernando Muslera. The second goal, at the hour mark, came on an unremarkable shot by Griezmann that fooled Muslera, who let the ball hit him in the gloves but failed to stop it. Stunned, and perhaps fooled by the ball’s trajectory, he watched as it carried on behind him into the net.

France displayed a multi-faceted attack, which allowed it to overcome a stout Uruguayan defense that had only surrendered one goal in the tournament. There weren’t the gaping holes that Kylian Mbappé so viciously exploited against Argentina in the Round of 16, so instead France worked a variety of angles: through balls to Mbappé, crosses to Olivier Giroud, free kicks towards their big center backs and whatever Griezmann wanted to try.

Uruguay couldn’t neutralize France because there is no single player or single strategy to neutralize. And it was weakened up front by the absence of striker Edinson Cavani, a crucial counterpart to Luis Suarez. Cavani missed the game because of a calf injury.

With only a single serious threat to worry about, France did so successfully, taking Suarez out of the match. Hugo Lloris only had to make one difficult save, a brilliant parry of a Martín Cáceres header before halftime. But in open play, France shut everything else down, and Uruguay didn’t manage a single shot on goal in the second half.

France got on the board in the 40th minute, when Griezmann took a free kick after a foul by Rodrigo Bentancur, who had taken down Corentin Tolisso from behind. Griezmann lofted the ball in, and Varane rocketed in a header.

Uruguay kept pace with France in the first half, not in passes, but in shots, and created its own great scoring opportunity minutes later. Lucas Torreira took a free kick and sent it toward Caceres, who fired a close-in header downward toward the left post. But Lloris dove to his right and made a beautiful one-handed save, pushing the ball wide. The ball dribbled loose for a moment and Uruguay’s Diego Godin arrived to try to convert the rebound, but he failed to bundle it in.

After that near miss, Uruguay struggled to create chances.

France went ahead by 2-0 in the 61st minute. Breaking as part of a four-on-four, Griezmann tried a shot from distance. It should have been be a relatively routine save for Muslera, but it seemed to knuckle in the air just before it hit his hands. Slowed but not stopped, the ball popped up, went over Muslera’s shoulder and dropped into the goal.

The game got ill-tempered soon afterward. After contact with Cristian Rodriguez of Uruguay, Mbappé went down, angering the Uruguayan defenders who believed he was faking an injury and setting off a fracas that soon involved players from both teams. Godin, suspecting play acting, grabbed Mbappé in an effort to make him get up. Players tangled, and there was shouting, pushing and shoving as the French players stood over Mbappé’s prone body. In the end there was a yellow card for both Rodriguez and Mbappé.

France then set about killing off the game, controlling possession and not letting Uruguay get much more than a sniff of the ball. France, beaten finalists in 2006, will not face such an impotent offense in its return to the semifinals, where either Neymar and Philippe Coutinho of Brazil or Eden Hazard and Kevin De Bruyne of Belgium await. But Les Blues have no obvious holes to exploit, either, and there is no easy way to stifle their attack.

Here’s how France eliminated Uruguay:

90’: + 5 for Uruguay
Five minutes of stoppage time here, but it would be a miracle if Uruguay notched one goal, let alone two.

89’: Griezmann Takes Another One
Can Antoine Griezmann make it three from a free kick? No, over the bar.

87’: Mbappe Comes Off
France is killing this game off extremely effectively. And that’s all for Kylian Mbappe, who will be replaced by Ousmane Dembele.

84’: No Punch for Uruguay
Jonathan Urreta tries to get a little fancy and finds some room, but a bad touch lets him down. Uruguay don’t look very threatening right now without Edinson Cavani.

Luis Suarez is dummying the ball and trying other inventive things, but Uruguay can’t generate anything. They haven’t even managed a shot on goal this half, despite being down for the majority of it.

79’: Changes for France
Sevilla defensive midfielder Steven Nzonzi is coming on for Corentin Tolisso, as France looks to solidify their defense and wrap this game up.

77’: Giroud Fires … Wide
France keeps the ball away from a frustrated Uruguay for minutes. The move segues into a nice dribble by Mbappe, but Giroud finally ends it by stonking a volley wide.

Kevin Draper: Uruguay doesn’t seem particularly confident in their ability to bypass the French midfield. They are either playing long balls and hoping one of their forwards can knock them down, or sending crosses in from the wing.

73’: Uruguay Makes Final Sub

Uruguay makes their final change, bringing on Monterrey winger Jonathan Urretaviscaya for Nahitan Nández. France still has all three changes available.

Kevin Draper: France is sitting back a bit and letting Uruguay control more possession, but are still knocking the ball around and attacking when they get a chance. Uruguay is going to have a few more chances, but France will have just as many.

74’: France Close!
France has numbers in the box, and Tolisso makes the possibly wrong decision to shoot rather than pass. The decision looks even worse when the shot flies over the bar.

After contact with Rodriguez, Mbappe goes down, and that sets off both sides, as players tangle and there is shouting, pushing and shoving. Godin urges Mbappe to get to his feet. For a moment, it calms down, then starts up again. Yellow card for both Rodriguez and Mbappe.

60’: GOAL! Griezmann Makes it 2-0

France breaks with a four-on-four and Griezmann tries one from distance. It should be a relatively routine save for Muslera, but it hit his hands, pops up, goes over his head and into the goal. A goalkeeper howler!

Kevin Draper:No complicated analysis needed on the goal: That was a disaster for Uruguay, and leaves them with little chance of a comeback. They’re going to have to really throw men forward and chase this game, a position they aren’t used to being in at this World Cup. In fact, this game is the first time they’ve trailed at all during the World Cup, let alone by two goals.

59’: Changes for Uruguay
Celta Vigo striker Maxi Gómez and Peñarol winger Cristian Rodríguez have come in for Cristhian Stuani and Rodrigo Betancur.

Starting for the injured Edinson Cavani, it is safe to say Stuani never got into the game, and it would be surprising to learn he had more then about a dozen touches. Uruguay manager Óscar Tabárez has apparently decided the unit on the field wasn’t likely to score, and so he’s playing his hand early.

59’: Uruguay Stronger Now

Uruguay gets some possession and zips the ball around the box a bit. But the move is foiled by a woeful shot by Caceres, miles in the sky.

Uruguay Strikes Back
Bentancur, whose foul set up the free kick that gave France its lead, appears to try to make amends with a long range shot, Too high.

Kevin Draper: Uruguay seems to be playing faster this half, leading to attacking opportunities, but also to fouls and bigger gaps in the midfield.

53’: Pavard Goes High
France is bossing the game a bit now. A corner is cleared, but Pavard drills a shot from distance on the rebound. Over the bar.

51’: Dangerous Free Kick for France
Kylian Mbappe sends a free kick into a tangle of French and Uruguayan bodies, but the first contact is with keeper Muslera’s fist.

For a team with such an intelligent defense, Uruguay gives away a number of free kicks in dangerous areas, which seems especially stupid considering that’s how France got the only goal in this game.

48′: Danger for Uruguay
Uruguay almost blunders into giving away a goal. Goalkeeper Fernando Muslera was way too casual on the ball, and Griezmann came close to blocking his rushed clearance into the goal.

47’: Free Kick for France
First free kick of the half to Antoine Griezmann: he loops it over his attackers and straight to the keeper.

46’: Here We Go
Uruguay immediately tries to push forward but France’s midfield takes it away and push forward.

Who Is Cristhian Stuani?
From Gonzalo Higuain to Luis Suarez to Edinson Cavani, modern Uruguay has always had world class strikers. But with Cavani is out, it’s time to get to know his replacement, Cristhian Stuani. Stuani is a bit of a journeyman, bouncing around Italy, Spain and England before finding a home at Girona. He scored the 5th most goals in La Liga this season, behind guys like Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. He made a number of substitute appearances for Uruguay at the last World Cup, and has been a regular on the national team for the last six years.

The Numbers
The halftime stats offer some hope for Uruguay. France has played the deliberate short-passing game, completing 209 passes to Uruguay’s 114. But Uruguay’s more direct style has kept it on par in shots: it has 7 to France’s 6. Moreover, Uruguay has four shots on target; France has just one, its goal.

Halftime: France 1, Uruguay 0
Kevin Draper: Despite being down a goal, that was a pretty good first half performance for Uruguay. They completely neutralized Kylian Mbappé, and snuffed out practically every dangerous-looking French attack, while getting a number of shots on goal at the other end of the field.

45’: Great Save by Lloris!
Save of the game! Torreira takes a free kick and Caceres is there for a close-in header. But Lloris dives right and makes a one-hander. The ball dribbles loose and Godin arrives, but can’t bundle it in. Great chance for Uruguay.

42’: Uruguay Pushing Now
Uruguay pushes forward in response and Nandez fires a sudden shot from 35 yards that is right on target. But Lloris is up to it and makes the save

39’:
GOAL! France Leads 1-0
France 1-0. Griezmann takes the free kick off that foul, lofts it in, and Varane rockets it in with his head.
Kevin Draper: That French goal was just what this game needed to liven up a bit. Uruguay hoped it could win 1-0 with an impenetrable defense and a moment of Luis Suarez magic, but now it’ll have to chase the game.

GOAAAALLLL!! VARANE WITH A SUPERB HEADER!!!#WorldCup⁠ ⁠#URU⁠ ⁠#FRA⁠ ⁠#URUFRApic.twitter.com/YspBcmcZpc

39’: Yellow for Betancur
Bentancur picks up a yellow for taking down Tolisso from behind. Tolisso executed a nice double roll on that foul. Dangerous free kick for France!

35’: Vecino Blocked by Lloris
Uruguay gets a good chance out of nothing, as the last in a succession of 50-50 balls bounces to Matías Vecino in the box, and he gets off a half-volley that ultimately doesn’t trouble Hugo Lloris enough.

35’: France on the Breakout
Samuel Umtiti passes forward, and Mbappe nabs the ball at the corner. He has a little space for once and shoots a ball past the outstretched hand of Mulera. It rolls across the length of the box slowly, without a lot of defenders around. But absolutely no French players are in sight.

34’: Yellow for Hernandez
Lucas Hernandez of France blatantly grabs the jersey of Nandez to slow him down. Nothing subtle about that. A clear yellow card.

27’: Uruguay Hassling Mbappe

Kylian Mbappe and Diego Laxalt get tangled at the sidelines. They don’t seem happy with each other This game has been physical, with a number of stoppages for injured players.

Kevin Draper: Uruguay’s early brightness has dulled, and the match is becoming the French-controlled affair we expected. France has 63 percent of the possession and twice as many completed passes, as they are probing for openings while Uruguay makes riskier, longer and more direct passes when they get the ball.

26’: Another Corner for France
Kylian Mbappe slides into a dangerous area, but Uruguay clears it for a corner. Again, Griezmann takes it, but this time goes short.

Rough Start
We are 24 minutes in, and there have already been 11 fouls committed, six of them by Uruguay. No yellow cards yet, but with the rate players are slamming into each other a half second late, they’ve got to be coming.

23’: Pavard Pushing
Benjamin Pavard pushes forward and forces a corner for France. Griezmann sends it in, but it’s cleared readily.

19’: Pogba Sends One Sailing

France puts together some good passing in the Uruguay half, but when Paul Pogba gets the ball he launches a shot from 35 yards that sails far over.

Kevin Draper:Uruguay’s defense took seriously how badly Kylian Mbappé pillaged Argentina’s defense in the last game, or perhaps Uruguay’s defense is just better (probably both). Either way, they haven’t allowed him to get behind them or make any marauding runs. France’s attack has mostly been crosses into the box.

15’: France Counters
On the other end, Olivier Giroud heads a ball across the goal to Kylian Mbappé, but he can only loop his header over goal. It probably didn’t have enough power to trouble Fernando Muslera anyway.

15’: Uruguay Threatens on Corner
Lucas Torreira takes a corner for Uruguay, and Gimenez gets off a decent header, perhaps lacking pace. Hugo Lloris dives and punches it away.

11’: Free Kick for France
After some rolling around by France, Antoine Griezmann gets a free kick lofts one in; Varane gets a head on it but it goes wide.

8’: Giroud Up Front
France gets the ball in to Giroud in front of goal, but he gets only the barest of toes on it. Giroud is playing all by himself up front in the dead center.

6’: Uruguay Advances
Uruguay advances, and Stuani shoots a cross right past goal, but there’s no one there! Agonizing for Uruguay, which may have to fight for chances in this game.

Kevin Draper:Uruguay is a stout defensive team and missing one of their strikers, and so the conventional wisdom says they would bunker down and turn this game into a slog. But they have already gotten in behind France’s defense twice, and their attack isn’t as Luis Suarez-focused as you might expect.

4’: Chance for Uruguay
Four minutes in, the first good chance of the match goes to Uruguay, after France flubs a ball in the midfield.

Giroud Down
As Olivier Giroud writhes on the ground, a reminder: If you think Neymar is the only player who oversells his flops, keep a close eye on Luis Suarez today.

Kickoff!
Uruguay in sky blue, France in white. Edinson Cavani is on the bench, but he could be used as a sub for Uruguay.

Article written by:

http://http//www.newsallround.com

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *