No blues for Les Blues!

France versus Morocco was much more than a semi-final clash. It was a clash between disciplined rigor of a golden generation against the passion of achieving what appeared an impossible dream for the other. It was also a clash between two friends who play for the same club (PSG): Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi and French golden boy Kylian Mbappe.

Morocco’s spectacular run has inspired millions globally, as the Atlas Lions (Morocco’s national team) reached the semis defeating top teams like Belgium, Spain and Portugal. But what is more spectacular is that Walid Regragui’s men had not conceded a single goal before their semi-final clash. France, on the other hand, the defending champions also called ‘Les Blues’, are witnessing another golden generation since the Zidane and Henry era. They have been performing in a swansong manner in Qatar even with Pogba, Benzema and N’golo Kante not making the squad due to injuries.

The Monsieurs made the first strike on the Moroccan fortress in the early minutes of the game. French defender Varane spotted Antoine Grizeman through the gaps in the Moroccan defence. The French No 7 slipped past his marker with ease and passed the ball to Mbappe who was surrounded by multiple red shirts in an instant and his shot was blocked. But the deflection for the shot fell towards French defender Theo Hernandez.

The defender who plays his club football at AC Milan alongside Swedish star Zlatan Ibrahimovic appears to have borrowed some of his skills. Hernandez scored a goal with an effortless acrobatic finish that even top strikers would fail to replicate. The ball came to him with a higher bounce making a straight shot unlikely. However, with sheer agility, Hernandez kicked the ball in a high legged volley, outwitting keeper Yassine Bounou and the two Moroccan defenders who were standing at the goaline to block the shot.

At the same level with Brazil forward, Richarlison’s goal, Theo Hernandez’s spectacular opening goal against Morocco may be voted as the best goal of the tournament.

If the Moroccans have stood for something this tournament, it is for their never say die spirit. And keeping all dejection aside, the Atlas Lions responded within four minutes as Ounahi made a decent shot on goal but it was saved by France keeper Hugo Lloris.

The Moroccan defence was well-prepared for Kylian Mbappe but Giroud took advantage of that and slipped past his marker in an instant and made a cracking shot at the Moroccan goal. The all-time leading goal scorer for France had almost found his his 54th international goal but the post denied it.

Achraf Dari almost equalized for Morocco in what could have been another competitor for the goal of the tournament. From a deflection that came from Ziyech’s corner, Dari took all French defenders by surprise and made a spectacular bicycle kick that seemed certainly going for goal only to be saved by Hugo LLoris in what was a super dive.

However, it was the deflections from Mbappe’s shot that cost the Atlas Lions in both the halves. As in the 78th minute , Mbappe’s shot was successfully blocked by the red shirts but the ball went towards Kolo Muani who rushed ahead of his marker and scored past a helpless Bounou.

Morocco had a final attempt at salvation as winger Abde Ezzalzouli made a dazzling run beating both Griezmann and Kounde in the French ‘D’ and almost managing to get a goal scored with an assist. But the attempt from Abderrazak Hamdallah was stopped by Jules Kounde.

France play Argentina in the final on December 18, 2022 (Sunday) at 8:30 pm IST.