After each matchday of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Sportsnet.ca’s World Cup Daily blog will recap the day’s events and look ahead to the next day’s slate of games.
Here’s what happened on Wednesday in Qatar, in case you missed it…
THE RESULT
France 2, Morocco 0 in Al Kohr: Match reports || Match stats
MAIN TALKING POINT
A date with Argentina in the final awaits France
France’s quest to become the first nation to repeat as champions in 60 years at a men’s World Cup remains alive after a hard-fought victory against a Morocco side that pushed Les Bleus to their limits. As the first African nation to reach the semifinals of a World Cup, the Atlas Lions have won the hearts of many neutral supporters for the indomitable, fighting spirit they have shown in Qatar. It served them well in registering upset wins over European giants Belgium, Spain and Portugal in the previous rounds.
But getting the best of the reigning World Cup holders was a bridge too far for Morocco, who put forth a valiant effort on Wednesday, especially after key defender Nayef Aguerd was ruled out due to injury just before kickoff, while captain Romain Saiss lasted only 21 minutes before limping off with a hamstring issue. Theo Hernández’s goal in the fifth minute via a sublime half-volley was the first goal scored against Morocco by the opposition at this World Cup – it conceded an own-goal in its 2-1 win over Canada – marking the first time the Arab nation trailed at this tournament.
Morocco carried the bulk of the attacking play in the second half and looked certain to equalize as they pinned France deep inside their half of the field for long stretches. But the Africans couldn’t find a way to breach a stout French defence and were dealt a curl sucker punch in the 79th minute. Largely anonymous for most of the match, Kylian Mbappé conjured a moment of magic out of nothing, dribbling past two defenders before his pass took a deflection and found Kolo Muani at the back post. Muani had been on the field for less than a minute after being introduced as a substitute, but he made no mistake and slotted home to put the game away and break Moroccan hearts.
France’s win owed just as much to its grit as it did to the skill displayed by Hernández and Mbappé on the two goals. Midfielder Adrien Rabiot and centre-back Dayot Upamecano were key figures in the French team’s run to the semifinals, but manager Didier Deschamps had to do without both of them for this game due to injuries. Substitutes Wesley Fofana and Ibrahima Konaté came in as their replacements and barely put a foot wrong, helping France repel the challenge of a surging Morocco for most of the second half.
GOAL OF THE DAY
After Antoine Griezmann carried the ball into Moroccan penalty area in the fifth minute, a mad scramble ensued that saw Kylian Mbappé’s shot blocked. But the ball eventually fell to Theo Hernández, who scored on a lovely half-volley from an angle with the ball almost at eye level.
MOMENT OF THE DAY
SIX PACK OF STATS
• Theo Hernández is the third defender to have scored and earned an assist in a single World Cup tournament with France, after Marius Trésor in 1982 and Bixente Lizarazu in 1998.
• Theo Hernández’s goal at 4:39 is the earliest scored by any side in a men’s World Cup semifinal since 1958 when Vavá scored within two minutes for Brazil against France.
• Frane’s Hugo Lloris made his 19th appearance at the World Cup, equalling Germany’s Manuel Neuer as the goalkeeper with the most games in the history of the men’s competition.
• France’s men’s team has never lost a World Cup match when leading at halftime, winning 26 times and drawing once.
• France’s Randal Kolo Muani scored the third-quickest goal for a substitute at a men’s World Cup history (44 seconds), only behind Uruguay’s Richard Morales in 2002 (16 seconds) and Denmark’s Ebbe Sand in 1998 (26 seconds).
• France has reached the men’s World Cup final four times in the last seven editions of the tournament (1998, 2006, 2018 and 2022), at least twice more than any other nation over the same period.
Stats courtesy of Opta
THREE STARS OF THE DAY
1) Theo Hernández (France): The AC Milan left fullback scored the opener with a fantastic finish and was a tower of strength in anchoring a French back line that shut out a fervent Moroccan attack.
2) Antoine Griezmann (France): As usual, the Atlético Madrid forward was brilliant on both sides of the ball, having a hand in setting up Hernández’s goal and helping the French keep a clean sheet.
3) Azzedine Ounahi (Morocco): He was a dynamo in the heart of the Africans’ midfield, completing 83.1 per cent of his passes and registering a game-high four shots (one on target).
LOOKING AHEAD TO SATURDAY
Croatia takes on Morocco (10:00 a.m. ET) in the third-place match at Khalifa International Stadium in Al Rayyan. It’s expected that this game could be the last at a World Cup for Croatian midfielder Luka Modrić, who turned 37 in September. For Morocco, it’s a chance to further cement the greatest run by an African team in World Cup history.
John Molinaro is one of the leading soccer journalists in Canada, having covered the game for over 20 years for several media outlets, including Sportsnet, CBC Sports and Sun Media. He is currently the editor-in-chief of TFC Republic, a website dedicated to in-depth coverage of Toronto FC and Canadian soccer. TFC Republic can be found here.
