World Cup

FRANCE took a giant step towards retaining the World Cup by beating England on Saturday.They now face Morocco in the semi-final at 7pm on Wednesday.

Win that, and Les Bleus will be one victory away from becoming the first team since Brazil in 1962 to defend the World Cup.
But standing in their way are a motivated Morocco team – the first African nation ever to reach the final four – who have conceded just one goal and knocked out Spain and Portugal in the last two rounds.
That only goal conceded was an own goal against Canada. Spain didn’t even find the net in the penalty shootout.
But how will Didier Deschamps and Walid Regragui line their sides up at the Al Bayt Stadium?
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For France, they are expected to name an unchanged XI from the team that beat England.
That would mean captain Hugo Lloris, one of the star performers against the Three Lions, keeps his place in goal for cap No144.
In front of him it will likely be the same back four of Jules Kounde, Raphael Varane, Dayot Upamecano and Theo Hernandez.
Upamecano came under heavy criticism for his performance, particularly trying to stop Harry Kane, meaning Ibrahima Konate or William Saliba could be drafted in.
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Hernandez, filling in following brother Lucas following his ACL injury against Australia, was lucky not to be sent off for his foul on Mason Mount that resulted in Kane’s missed penalty.
France are yet to keep a clean sheet in Qatar – and Deschamps will be desperate to end that run.
In midfield, Aurelien Tchouameni and Adrien Rabiot have formed a solid partnership, setting the base for the attacking front four to cause damage.
That attack is set to be spearheaded by Olivier Giroud with Ousmane Dembele on the right flank, Kylian Mbappe on the left and Antoine Griezmann flourishing in his new No10 role.

Kingsley Coman was the only man brought off the bench on Saturday evening and he will almost certainly have to settle for a place among the substitutes once more.
As for Morocco, their side is plagued with injuries, illnesses and a crucial suspension.
Noussair Mazraoui and Nayef Aguerd missed the quarter-final against Portugal while Romain Saiss was taken off on a stretcher five minutes after half-time.
Mazraoui and Aguerd could be passed fit and come back into the fold – although replacements Yahia Attiyat Allah and Jawad El Yamiq both shone to keep Portugal out.
Walid Cheddira, though, will definitely have to sit the semi-final out after his two late yellow cards resulted in a red and a one-match suspension.
So Regragui will stick with Yassine Bounou in goal with a probable back four of Achraf Hakimi, El Yamiq, Aguerd and Allah.
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The midfield three of Azzedine Ounahi, Sofyan Amrabat and Selim Amallah will likely retain their places with Hakim Ziyech and Sofiane Boufal either side of Youssef En-Nesyri – the Atlas Lions’ match-winner on Saturday – in attack.
The winner of France vs Morocco will face either Argentina or Croatia in the World Cup final on Sunday.
Kylian Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann will both start the semi-finalCredit: PA
Hakim Ziyech and Achraf Hakimi will be hoping of securing yet another upsetCredit: Getty More

WITH margins growing ever finer in the World Cup, the art of penalty taking becomes increasingly important, both during the game and in the shoot out. But there is nothing easy about it.Ask Harry Kane, or Marquinhos of Brazil, whose shot against the post saw Brazil eliminated by Croatia.
Lautaro Martinez celebrates after scoring Argentina’s winning penaltyCredit: Getty
Martinez slots his penalty with calmness and precisionCredit: Getty
These things can be practised and practised again. But there is no real preparation for the extra pressure of the moment.
Harry Kane`s second effort against France was not too far away nestling in the roof of the net, unstoppable for any keeper.
Had Marquinhos shot just a fraction to his left then the ball would have gone in off the post and not come back on the wrong side of the line. Adrenalin alters the calculations just enough to turn triumph into tragedy.
All of this sets the scene for one of the greatest penalties in the history of the World Cup – the shot by Lautaro Martinez that eliminated Holland and clinched Argentina’s place in Tuesday’s semi final.
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Martinez came into the tournament as Argentina’s first choice centre forward, the choice of some to be the top scorer of the World Cup.
And he seemed to be living up to that billing in the first half of Argentina’s opening game against Saudi Arabia.
Twice he was clean through on the keeper, and twice he clipped his finish competently into the back of the net. Twice, though, VAR ruled it out for the narrowest of offsides.
Argentina, of course, went on to suffer a shock defeat in that game – a huge blow to collective morale and a blow to Martinez.
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Coach Lionel Scaloni was forced into a rethink in the course of the competition, and Lautaro Martinez ended up losing his place in the side, giving way to the extra mobility of Julian Alvarez.
He remained part of Scaloni’s plans, and was brought off the bench against Poland in the last group game and in the first knock out round against Australia.
Argentina wanted to get him on the scoresheet, to get him up and running in the competition. But Martinez was undergoing a very public crisis of confidence.
What had been looking so easy suddenly became very difficult. He could not find the target. The goal now appeared tiny in his sights as he sent his shots harmlessly wide or embarrassingly over.
His aim was better when he came on against Holland in the quarter final. One goalbound shot was blocked by a defender. Another forced a good save from Andres Noppert in the Dutch goal.
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But he still hadn’t opened his account in the World Cup – and so there were some worried faces in Argentina when he strode forward to take Argentina’s fifth penalty in the shoot out.
The context made it even more dramatic. Argentina had appeared to have the game won in normal time, only to have it snatched away with the Dutch forcing an extraordinary last second equaliser.
Martinez and his mates had hammered away during extra time but were unable to find the vital blow. After Emiliano Martinez saved the first two Holland penalties, Argentina surely had the shoot out in the bag. But the tide was turning.
Holland struck three in a row. Enzo Fernandez wasted a match point when he shot wide. The last remaining match point lay at the feet of Lautaro Martinez.
Miss this one and it was back to level pegging, with the Dutch going into sudden death favoured by the momentum.
It took remarkable courage for Lautaro Martinez to step forward for the big moment. The giant Noppert must have made the goal seem alarmingly small.
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A miss and the initiative passes to Holland, while Martinez becomes the villain of villains.
But it was precisely in his willingness to take the kick that the centre forward showed his character. And it was in the ruthless way that he fired past the keeper that he showed his class.
There was concern that Martinez was suffering from a crisis of confidenceCredit: Reuters
Argentina players celebrate Martinez’s winning penaltyCredit: Getty More

JURGEN KLINSMANN says Harry Kane’s brain was scrambled by the long wait before his fateful missed penalty against France.The England skipper sent his late spot-kick soaring over Hugo Lloris’ bar to condemn Gareth Southgate’s side to a last eight exit.
England captain Harry Kane missed a crucial penalty against FranceCredit: Getty
It was a rare blemish from the Tottenham man, who had smashed home his first penalty earlier in the second half under similar pressure.
But while Kane normally takes eight seconds after the whistle to take a spot-kick, he spent 21 seconds trying to win the mind battle with his Spurs team-mate.
Klinsmann, head of Fifa’s technical study group at the World Cup, said: “I’m a big Harry Kane fan.
“If he had the chance to just put the ball down and shoot it, I don’t think there would have been any problem for him.
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“But we’ve been discussing just how much time passes from the referee whistling for a penalty and the player taking it.
“That works on your brain, as a player.
“It took so much time and in that situation you start to think and over-think.
“That all goes through your mind and you end up not executing the shot as you would have done right after the whistle.”
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Klinsmann added that England might have gone home frustrated and disappointed once again but that they should still be positive over their direction under Southgate.
He added: “It’s a shame that England against France came too early in the tournament – because it should have been a semi-final or the final.
“One team had to go home and that was England.
“But they played a very good tournament and they are still a team that is growing and who are able to get better over the next few years.
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Jurgen Klinsmann claims Harry Kane’s brain was scrambled before missing his penaltyCredit: Getty
“This team has not reached its limit, by any means.
“There is a lot of talent there, players who are getting better and who will gain more experience.
“The last three tournaments, Russia, the Euros and now here in Qatar, have been very positive, even if this one ended in the quarter-finals.
“There is more to come from England.” More