Day 1 of FIFA Quarterfinals; The Stars Shine Brightest

Coming into this specific matchup, there was a lot of talk of an upset, and after a first half that saw a frustrated Kylian Mbappé have a penalty kick saved… that didn’t seem too far from possible. However, the stars shined brightest on the biggest stage today. 

France vs Morocco

Kylian Mbappé is really good. That’s what I took away from this game. Despite missing a penalty kick in the 28th minute, Mbappé was spectacular. What makes France great, though, is that Mbappé doesn’t have to carry the attack alone. France can also rely on Ousmane Dembélé and Désiré Doué, and all three forwards contributed to the victory. All three recorded a goal contribution, with Mbappé finishing with a goal and an assist. Even when Mbappé left the game with an injury, France still lived in the Moroccan half. Unlike Morocco, France can attack from every angle and can change a game from multiple paths. Like I mentioned before, all three of their forwards have the ability to change a game and make an impact. It reminds me of England with Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham, and Marcus Rashford. A potential matchup for us to see in the future. 

What made today so special was that a halftime tie turned into a France 2-0 win, which at first glance doesn’t tell you exactly how eventful this game truly was. Morocco defended brilliantly for long stretches, but two second-half lapses were enough for France to punish them. That is the difference at this stage of the tournament. I don’t have anything bad to say about either coach or either team. Both nations should be proud. Morocco has a lot to look forward to, they’ve had tremendous success at this World Cup and I have no doubt they’ll be back in 4 years. 

We get another fun matchup to watch in Spain and Belgium, Spain being a young and speedy team, where Belgium is older and more methodical in their attack. Will Belgium’s experienced stars control the match, or will Spain’s young talent shine brightest on the quarterfinal stage? Until tomorrow, cheers! Until tomorrow, cheers!