France vs Morocco
At 3 am on the 15th, Beijing time, 2022 Qatar World Cup will compete for the last final quota, and Morocco, the "dark horse" who created the best record in the World Cup of African teams, challenged the last event champion France. With its tenacious defense, Morocco has made history all the way, and relying on its sharp front line, France has made rapid progress. The battle between spear and shield tests France's defending strength.
This game is the first time that French football and Moroccan football have confronted each other in the World Cup. The two sides have played 7 times in various competitions, with France having the upper hand 4 wins, 2 draws and 1 loss. Morocco's only victory was in the King's Cup of Rey in May 1998, which won 6:5 in the penalty shootout after a 2:2 draw with France. The last time the two sides met was an international friendly match 15 years ago, with a score of 2:2.
In the historical record of the World Cup, Morocco is not a strong team. Four of the previous five World Cup experiences were before 2000. After entering the 2000 World Cup, the best result was the top 16 in 1986. Morocco, which has been participating in the World Cup intermittently for 52 years, has been in the middle and lower reaches of the world, broke out in this event, creating the best record of African football in the World Cup. Its defensive skills are impressive.
On December 10, Moroccan team members threw head coach Regraj to celebrate after the game. Xinhua News Agency reporter Lan Hongguang photographed
The World Cup was in the semi-finals, and Morocco conceded the least goals among all teams, conceded only 1 goal in five games and was an own goal, which can almost be considered as not being lost. This team does not have dazzling stars. They are only a few players such as Ligue 1 Paris Saint-Germain's Ashraf Bayern's Mazravi Premier League Chelsea's Ziyech, etc., but the overall combat quality of the team is very high, and the players' tactical execution is very firm. When a player comes forward to fight, another player can always fill in the position in time to ensure the stability of the defense line. Belgium, Spain, Portugal and other teams with excellent offensive players have all been rejected. In addition, Morocco's counterattack was very sharp. The essence of the defensive counterattack tactics, which was not moving, and full force, was fully demonstrated. Except for the same defensive counterattack tactics, which faced Croatia , which also had defensive counterattack tactics and Spain, Morocco scored goals in the other three games, and stopped when it was better, with the highest number of goals.
On December 10, Moroccan goalkeeper Bunu (first right) saved the game against Portugal. Xinhua News Agency reporter Li Jundong photographed
Croatia lost to Argentina 0:3, the whole world wants to see how Morocco defends France and see if they can block the offensive of the strongest forward line in this World Cup. Judging from the tactical styles and player characteristics of the two teams, Morocco is probably a bit overwhelming. France is known for its offensive line. The heroes of winning the last World Cup Mbappe and Giroud are still in the team and are both at their peak. Mbappe tops the player's goal list with 5 goals, and Giroud follows closely behind with 4 goals. In terms of playing style, France is also relatively restrained in defensive teams. They are not just pushing in the middle, but long passes to the ball behind the back are also the main offensive means. Relying on Mbappe's sprinting speed, France often plays the defensive team's return time difference through long passes. Once the opponent's defense line fails to keep up with Mbappe's pace, the offensive can easily form a shot. Griezmann has a long pass accuracy rate of more than 80% in this World Cup, and he will become the trolley player of France's penetration defense. France will greatly test the response speed and marking ability of Moroccan defensive players.
On December 10, French player Mbappe (former) attacked in a game against England. Xinhua News Agency reporter Pan Yulong photographed
On December 10, the French team head coach Deschamps (first from right) commanded on the sidelines. Xinhua News Agency reporter Li Ga photographed
Of course, Morocco is not without opportunities. France, which conceded goals in every game, exposed more defensive problems in the match against England, and two of them gave England a penalty kick. If it weren't for England captain Kane , one of two free throws, both sides might have fought to overtime or even a penalty shootout.In addition, Moroccan players also have the advantage in their mentality. They have made history and are relatively relaxed. Instead, France faces the pressure of defending the title.
The first goal is often the most critical when the match between offensive teams and defensive teams is often the most important, especially when there is a certain gap in strength between the two sides. If Morocco scores first, France will face a tighter defense, and it is possible that only one goal will be scored in the whole game; if France scores first, Morocco will face greater defensive pressure. Croatia's performance has sounded another alarm for Morocco. The defensive mistake gave Argentina a penalty kick, which led to the first loss of the ball. This is one of the main reasons for their "collapse".
Another highlight of this game is Mbappe. Mbappe scored no goal when he was taken care of by the extremely fast defender Walker. In the match against Morocco, it is worth looking forward to whether Mbappe can score a goal to win the World Cup Golden Boot Award.
(Nanning Evening News·Nanning Bao Client Reporter Lin Xianwei)
