ARLINGTON, Texas — It finally happened in the 81st minute of a 90-minute game. The world’s most terrifying attack has taken a shot on target.
France manager Didier Deschamps was at a loss as to which of his top-class attackers to use, so he fielded a formidable quartet with Kylian Mbappé at the front, inspired by the creativity of Michael Olysse, and Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele on one wing.
They defeated teams with six goals in three knockout matches heading into Tuesday’s semifinals.
Then I met Spain.
Desiree Douet’s shot from outside the box in the 81st minute and Dembélé’s two shots from an off-angle in the 96th and 97th minutes were the only shots they could manage against Spain goalkeeper Unai Simon in 90 minutes as France desperately tried to break through. Once again, these teams met in the semifinals. Once again France were eliminated and Spain won 2-0 thanks to goals from both sides at half-time.
Right-back Pedro Polo, who also scored the winning goal, said, “I’m very happy. I’m happy that we were able to keep a clean sheet.” “We knew it was an important game in that respect. They have very good players, so we thought we had to strengthen at the back first.”
It’s happened before.
France failed to get a shot on goal in the remaining two games of this World Cup. But keeping them quiet for nearly 90 minutes was something else entirely. So too was Spain’s extra dimension compared to teams like Paraguay, which frustrated France for much of the round of 16 match.
Rather than bunkering and hoping France wouldn’t break through in South American style, Spain put pressure on France with attacks through winger Lamine Yamal, who used his speed to keep wide defenders honest, and Dani Olmo, who happily pushed the ball towards goal. Spain attacked every time they had the ball at their feet, putting pressure on France with a counter-press that ensured France’s attackers were surrounded every time they regained possession.
Even if France won the ball back, it wasn’t enough. Spain coach Luis de la Fuente calculated that he would need the ball to instill fear into France’s defense with their formidable attack. His team kept the ball, passed well and never let Les Bleus move.
“This is a team that loves to control the game and control the ball, and we let them do that,” Mbappé said on Fox after the game. “We gave the midfield too much time to play and ended up giving them the authority to play. It will be difficult not to change Spain’s plan.”
Yamal, forward Mikel Oyarzabal and other attackers often steal the headlines despite Spain conceding just one goal en route to the final. However, in the semi-finals, La Roja’s back four and midfield combination of Rodri and Fabian Ruiz sealed the match once again.
Coach de la Fuente has kept Luiz in his starting lineup even with a healthy Pedri at his disposal. The PSG man has a special presence in the box thanks to his size, but on Tuesday he was everywhere, breaking up play and moving into the attacking third when needed. The decision to play Luiz over Pedri looks to get better with each game and with each performance from Luiz, who finished the day with seven defensive contributions, including a blocked shot inside the area.
That made life easier for the centre-backs, with Yamal and fellow 19-year-old Barcelona player Pau Kvarsi, who is already playing beyond his years, showing solid performances, and French-born Aymeric Laporte having a great game. The Basque defender was not to be outdone and ensured that he was in a position to prepare for the odd number of rushes that France would make in every game.
Without Polo, Laporte’s performance would have been man of the match. The future relationship with Yamal is one of the most dangerous combinations for Spain. They worked well together against France, but it was the combination with Olmo that led to Polo’s second goal of the tournament.
“I think it’s one of the most important things in the world of football. Achieving a clean sheet is a big help,” Kvarsi said. “There may have been a little bit of talk about the defense and goaltending not being good, but I think we shut up a lot of things. We got to the finals again, and I think we did a great job.”
How many analysts and fans pressed the panic button when Spain, who had been attracting attention as the favorite to win the tournament, lost their opening game to a goalless draw with Cape Verde? How things change depending on context.
Of course, we learned about Bosinho and the Cape Verdean defense. But it was also a soft start to De La Fuente’s lockdown defense. Fixes were needed to get the team working properly. Polo started the next game, effectively winning the starting role. Lewis needed to be given more freedom.
It seemed like it wasn’t enough, but the Spanish team was now just one win away from winning the World Cup title for the second time in history. These games are where stars are born, and it could be the moment when Yamal, Olmo or another leading scorer forever etches their name in the history books.
But highlight reel editors should also be ready to compile a reel of Lewis’ best blocks, Laporte’s best tackles and Perrot’s top defense-to-attack transitions.
Because France’s top stars, those who edit Mbappe’s brilliance, Elise’s ingenuity and Dembele’s dribbling, will have little to work with from the semi-finals. Spain’s back six thwarted the French attack and sent La Roja to the final.
