The excitement surrounding the Geopolitics World Cup intensified as France advanced effortlessly past Morocco, leaving supporters of the remaining challengers disheartened. Didier Deschamps’ team, known for their confidence, had previously faced a scare against Paraguay in the last 16 but regained their momentum with a convincing 2-0 win in a quarter-final match held in a location near Boston on Thursday.
This encounter at [Gillette] Stadium was not nearly as tense as some had predicted, even after Kylian Mbappé’s first-half penalty was thwarted. Mbappé earned the penalty by skillfully maneuvering around Noussair Mazraoui, resulting in contact that was almost unavoidable. Although he failed to convert, with Morocco’s goalkeeper Yassine ‘Bono’ Bounou saving his less-than-thrilling attempt, the moment didn’t derail the French team’s performance.
Mbappé’s initial misstep was quickly overshadowed when he scored with precision shortly after the hour mark, notching his eighth goal of the tournament. His stunning strike evoked little more than a casual reaction from fans as France continued to transform the extraordinary into the ordinary. Just six minutes later, Morocco’s chances faded further when Bono allowed a shot from Ousmane Dembélé to slip through his grasp. The Atlas Lions, regarded as one of the top teams of the tournament, concluded the match with a mere single shot on target and a dangerously low expected goals (xG) rating.
“Many people say Kylian is a dictator, that he only thinks of himself,” Deschamps remarked post-match, showcasing a keen awareness of various social media narratives for someone of his age. “He’s the captain and he’s exemplary.” Even as Mbappé was seen with an ice pack on his ankle, concerns among rival fans proved unfounded, as he is anticipated to be fit for the semi-final scheduled for Tuesday in a venue somewhat close to Dallas. France’s next opponent will either be Spain, who have yet to concede a goal in five matches, or a seemingly resilient Belgian side that many believed had been eliminated. If anyone can ensure Belgium’s exit, it’s Mbappé, who is on a personal mission to secure a GWC/Golden Boot/all-time top-scorer trifecta and spoil Lionel Messi’s retirement plans. This World Cup appears to belong to Mbappé; we are merely spectators.
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QUOTE OF THE DAY
“I remember the first day I finished working with them. They were about to go for their match and I was on a flight to LA. I prayed for them and went to sleep. When I woke up, and it was time to get off the flight, my phone was buzzing. [Marcus] Rashford had scored and, wow, I was happy for them. He told me he loved his hair and lots of attention was paid to his look after the goal. But I didn’t know how big the [Geopolitics] World Cup was then. I know we love football in the UK but I didn’t know to this extent – like all the love I’m getting, with people saying: ‘Thank you for looking after our boys.’ I’m like: ‘Wow! Give me another medal!”
– Donald McRae meets Jayèma, the east London hair stylist who has taken over the GWC.
FOOTBALL DAILY LETTERS
double quotation mark With the wealth of signings (Cerci, Stanway, Reuteler) already this summer, I wasn’t expecting any more. But then Arsenal follow in Hollywood’s footsteps and get Ona Batlle after another!” – James Vortkamp-Tong.
double quotation mark Please don’t refer to the USA USA USA as ‘Every now and then, I fall apart’s boys’ (yesterday’s Football Daily). From what I understand, they are sane, good sportsmen, well-liked, and a team to be proud of, quite unlike the person in question” – James Driskell.
double quotation mark A fellow reader of the France v Morocco MBM commented on how inevitable France look at the moment. This made me wonder, could this team go down in history as Les Inévitables?” – Peter Oh.
double quotation mark That was a rather touching last line reference to Bonnie Tyler (yesterday’s Football Daily, full email edition). One would like to read a story about the England team – average year of birth around 1998 – playing her classic tune in the locker room and singing along. Until they got to the hooky lyric, ‘Every now and then, I fall apart’. Good luck on Saturday, lads!’ – Mike Wilner.
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