Didier Deschamps made just one late substitution on Saturday as France beat England 2-1 in the World Cup quarter-final, but the holders showed unwavering collective strength in the group.
Les Bleus’ main weakness is a lack of solutions off the bench and Deschamps only put Kingsley Coman on for Ousmane Dembélé in the 34th minute, just after Olivier Giroud headed in what turned out to be the winning goal at Al Bayt Stadium.
It was enough when England captain Harry Kane missed a penalty and Marcus Rashford kicked a late free-kick over the bar, and Giroud insisted that the France players draw energy from the substitutes.
“We all work together. The guys on the bench push us a lot,” Giroud, France’s top scorer, 36, who has already scored four goals in Qatar, told a press conference.
“It reminds me of the spirit of 2018. I hope to go as far as possible because this team deserves good things,” he added, referring to the triumphant season in Russia, when they capitalized on the collective joy throughout the tournament.
“We had visits from the minister for sport, the president of the federation, but also (1998 World Cup winner) Lilian Thuram and (2006 World Cup runners-up) Claude Makelele. It was nice to see all those happy faces , these generations celebrating together.”
Deschamps, who won the World Cup as France captain in 1998 and as manager in 2018, said the great atmosphere within the French camp was what helped them keep their cool when under pressure from a “great English team”.
“We have many qualities, but also a lot of mental strength and experience. I also have young players, but there is a collective strength that drives the whole group,” he said.
“In important matches like tonight’s this is what makes the difference.”
France are now on course to become the first team to retain their title since Brazil in 1962, but Deschamps refused to think beyond Wednesday’s semi-final against surprising Morocco, who are the first African team to reach the semi-finals. Cup.
“There are other stages and it starts on Wednesday. We will be happy with what we did tonight, even if it’s not enough. At least we broke the curse (of the reigning champion),” he added.
Europe’s last four world champions have not even made it past the group stage of the next World Cup.
Morocco qualified for the semi-finals by beating Portugal 1-0 early on Saturday and will be a tough nut to crack having conceded just one goal in the tournament.
“What this team has achieved against Belgium, Croatia, Spain, Portugal, I can only say bravo – to the players, but also to the coach (Walid Regragui), to the team,” said Deschamps.
“It’s no longer a surprise to see them here. Always give credit to the team that won and qualified.”
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Source: Terra
Camila Luna is a writer at Gossipify, where she covers the latest movies and television series. With a passion for all things entertainment, Camila brings her unique perspective to her writing and offers readers an inside look at the industry. Camila is a graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in English and is also a avid movie watcher.
