France devours Morocco with a voracity that frightens

BarcelonaNo surprises in Boston. The French selection will play the semifinals of this World Cup and is already awaiting a rival from the match that Spain and Belgium are playing today. Didier Deschamps' team devoured Morocco, which had performed very well throughout the championship, with a voracity proportional to the talent it possesses and the importance of the event it faced. The superiority displayed by the Gauls is comparable to that exhibited by Brazil through an imagination that has been lost. The multicultural breeding ground of 21st-century France is the favorite to lift the World Cup.

It was paid cheaply at the betting houses that Yassine Bounou, Bono, would play a leading role in this tie. The forward line that France boasts, with four players valued at over 100 million, had to demand from the veteran Moroccan goalkeeper, who at 35 years old maintains the agility and reflexes that brought so much joy for three years in Montilivi. The script of the duel did not defy prediction. On the contrary. In the first half alone, Bono made three saves. The most meritorious, to Mbappé, who missed a penalty he himself had caused before the first hydration break. The Madrid forward kicked it very badly, although he was not helped by the fact that the (Argentinian) refereeing team reviewed the play, which was dubious, for too long.

Mbappé's mistake, which he later corrected, was followed by another very clear chance for Doué, who faced the goal after dispossessing the young Bouaddi. The PSG attacker shot at Bono's gloves, who, before halftime, also did enough to tip a Digne shot onto the crossbar when it looked certain to go into the top corner. France tried everything, on land, sea, and air, especially enjoying any opportunity to counter-attack. The reward would come eventually. Meanwhile, Morocco limited themselves to surviving and timidly threatening with some runs by Achraf Hakimi and Brahim Díaz. The absence of Saibari from Terrassa, scorer of three goals in this World Cup, reduced the intimidation factor for the North Africans, who, despite everything, earned a halftime draw (0-0).

Only one shot on target in the entire match

Although after the break Morocco tried to show up in attack with a couple of appearances from the talented Ounahi, it was France who warned again with a shot from Doué that Bono frustrated once more. On the other hand, the Moroccan goalkeeper could not fly enough to stop a lethal shot from Mbappé at the hour of play. The top French scorer collected a ball well fought for by Rabiot in the three-quarter zone to send it to the far corner of the rival goal with a trademark whip. A great goal, in short. Trailing on the scoreboard, Morocco got disorganized, which is the worst that can happen to a team facing a footballing monster with as many weapons as France. Thus, just five minutes after conceding the 1-0, they conceded the 2-0 in an ambush by Ousmane Dembélé, which Bono, who had already spent all his heroics, swallowed without effort. Bang-pow.

Morocco tried to join the fight in the final stretch of the match, with Mbappé and Doué already reserved for the semi-finals, but Maignan blocked the first and only attempt on goal (in the 83rd minute). Ounahi did not succeed. Africa is left without representatives in the World Cup. Only Leo Messi can prevent the champion in New Jersey from being a European team.