After the intense and memorable Netherlands-Argentina came the neat and also extraordinary England-France. A function of a sophistication destined for refined palates, the match delivered everything, a lot of emotion and exchange of blows, but above all football in capital letters, pure modernity.
France won (1-2) because they were more decisive, but England deserved more, much more, who challenged the current champion with an attacking bet that reconciled them with themselves. The Southgate players can be proud, especially Harry Kane, who missed a penalty that threatened the French victory (minute 83) but whose stain cannot stain his immeasurable game. The Republicans beat the Monarchists for the first time in a World Cup. Morocco awaits them in the semifinal.
The match had a very high level. The two teams did not save anything. The quarterfinals usually give way to a fearful staging of the teams, gripped because any mistake can penalize enormously, we are in a World Cup. It was not the case of these two selections.
There is no longer a trace in the English of the direct football that so identified them. His game is much more evolved today and full of nuances. His centre-backs are neat and the man who galvanizes everything, Harry Kane, does not match the profile of a classic center forward, he is a finisher capable of doing much more, surrounded by talented young players like Bellingham, Foden and Saka.
It happens that in front of them they had a very chewed up France, which plays by heart, which suffers significant casualties (Kanté, Pogba and even the Ballon d'Or Benzema) and still does not let its chassis suffer. France is moved as if all its pieces were interconnected. She advances and defends collectively. Griezmann improves dressed in blue as a link and the same thing happens to Dembélé, who has become a rational winger who knows when to speed up and when to slow down. Mbappé, for his part, is on another level, he runs powered by invisible springs.
He went out to dominate France, going from speculation, combining again and again and in this way he managed to deceive England. Tchouaméni received it on the edge of the area, the British waited for another pass, but the Real Madrid player, with hardly any run, unleashed a whiplash that surprised Pickford, something that is not easy to achieve. The ball entered like an arrow to the right of the English goalkeeper, from below.
The response from Southgate was magnificent. They conceded the goal in the 17th minute and from then on they devoted themselves to a single task: attacking to tie it. The opportunities were many and varied. Lloris, who has become the player from his country with the most caps in history (143), had a lot of work on the day of his anniversary. Shaw tested him for free, Kane challenged him one on one and also from outside the area with a missile. The England captain, established as the leader of his team with a monumental performance, could have been the victim of a penalty from Upamecano, but the VAR took the entry out of the area.
England bit, ambitious as it had not been recognized since 1966, when it won its only World Cup. Without raffling off a single ball, verticalizing it, he persisted until he scored the equalizing goal. Bellingham already tried it in the second part, a sign that the script had not changed, and was finally certified by Kane, a tremendous specialist in the field, by transforming with all the suspense in the world (he placed the ball as if he were cradling a month-old baby ), a clear penalty committed by Tchouaméni: the midfielder blocked Saka, a guy who doesn't know how to sit still, skillful and tough as hell.
The party entered a new stage, already converted into a major work. England continued to feel comfortable taking risks. Maguire, the other Harry, headed a ball to the post and Saka brushed the target when he reached a slightly forced cross from Foden. They were goal occasions with all the letters, not simple approaches. Giroud must have been jealous: he finished off an assist with Dembélé's header that Pickford sent for a corner and, immediately afterwards, headed it into Griezmann's cross.
The cascade of emotions did not let up. With no time to rest, as if football were basketball, the VAR ruled a maximum penalty for pushing Mason Mount, who had entered the second half, from Theo Hernández. Kane cradled the baby again, but this time he sent the ball skyrocketing. England did not recover from the blow.
Inglaterra: Pickford; Walker, Stones (Grealish, m.98), Maguire, Shaw; Henderson (Mount, m.79), Bellingham, Rice; Saka (Sterling, m.79), Kane y Foden (Rashford, m.85)
France: Lloris; Kound, Varane, Upamecano, Theo Hernandez; Tchouameni, Rabiot; Griezmann; Dembele (Coman, m.79), Giroud and Mbappe
Goals: 0-1, m.17: Tchouaméni; 1-1, m.54: Kane (p); 1-2, m.78: Giroud
Referee: Wilton Sampaio (BRA), admonished the English Maguire (89) and the French Griezmann (43), Dembelé (47) and Theo Hernandez (82)
Incidents: Quarterfinal match of the World Cup in Qatar played at the Al Bayt stadium in Al Khor before 68,895 spectators.
