France Beat Morocco to Reach World Cup Semifinal
Mbappe missed a penalty, then drove France ahead with a fierce strike after the break. Dembele added a second as France became the first team into the semifinals, awaiting Spain or Belgium.
- France beat Morocco 2-0 in the World Cup quarterfinal on July 9 in Boston.
- Kylian Mbappe first missed a penalty, saved by goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, then put France ahead in the 60th minute.
- Ousmane Dembele added a second in the 66th minute to settle the outcome.
- France are the first semifinalists and await the winner of Spain against Belgium, with the semifinals set for July 14 and 15.
Bounou had already committed to his right, and the ball went left. The Boston stadium fell silent for a heartbeat, then erupted, because the Moroccan keeper found the corner and denied Kylian Mbappe from the spot. The France captain stood still on the white mark, hands on his hips, teammates patting his shoulder. In that frame it looked like Morocco had a plan, and that they might just see it through.
They did not. What happens with elite forwards is that a miss rarely breaks them, more often it angers them. Mbappe ended the first half without a goal and with one bitter miss, but he came back out of the tunnel like a player who knew his chance would return. And it did.
How did the Moroccan wall crack?
Morocco played the first half exactly as planned, compact, two banks of players, quick transitions down the flanks. France had the ball but not the space. Then, in the 60th minute, came the moment these matches are remembered for. Mbappe collected the ball around twenty meters out, took one touch to steady himself and fired, hard and low, inside the post. This time Bounou had no answer.
Six minutes later it was done. Ousmane Dembele exploited the space Morocco had to leave while chasing an equalizer and calmly beat the keeper for 2-0. A thin bench, tired legs, the psychological blow of a second goal in such a short span, all of it stacked against the Africans. Morocco kept trying, but without that same belief from the opening half.
France become the first semifinalists of this World Cup. What lingers is not the scoreline but the calm with which the French absorbed an early miss and then shifted up a gear. That is the difference between a team that wants a trophy and a team that hopes for one.
What comes next for the French?
France now hold what is pure gold at major tournaments, an extra day of rest and a clear picture of their opponent only once the second quarterfinal is played. Waiting in the semifinal is the winner of Spain against Belgium, two entirely different challenges. Spain would demand the ball and drag France into possession, Belgium would likely play on transition and set pieces.
The semifinals are scheduled for July 14 and 15, and the real nerves start there. France showed four years ago that they know how to reach the very end, but they also know how much it hurts to stop that close. Mbappe answered his miss tonight in the best possible way, with a goal and silence instead of explanations.
I believe this was the most serious test this France side has faced so far, and they passed it with a grade that places them among the main favorites for the title. The question is whether someone from the Pyrenees or from Brussels can stop them.
Do you think anyone left at this World Cup can stop France, or is the title already heading toward Paris?
