AL KHOR, Qatar. – Olivier Giroud sent France into a World Cup semifinal with Morocco as his late header after Aurelien Tchouameni’s opener clinched a gutsy 2-1 win over England on Saturday with Harry Kane blazing a penalty over the bar six minutes from time.
Four years ago, Giroud did not manage a shot on target in the entire tournament as France won the title, but he now has four goals and has become his country’s record goal scorer along the way.
France is now one win away from becoming the first back-to- back finalists since Brazil in 2002 and two from being the third team to retain the trophy after Brazil in 1962 and Italy in 1938.
Manager Didier Deschamps, who captained them to their first World Cup triumph in 1998 and coached them to their second title four years ago, described the victory as fabulous.
“It was a big game, we played a superb England team who are strong technically and physically,” he said
“It’s brilliant for the players to be in the last four again. We got a bit lucky although we gave away two penalties, but we kept our lead with our hearts and our guts.”
France now faces the unlikeliest of semifinal opponents in Morocco, after it beat Portugal 1-0 earlier on Saturday and Deschamps was quick to recognize their worth.
Clashing in the other semis match are Argentina and Croatia. Argentina outlasted the Netherlands 4-3 in a penalty shootout after battling to a 2-2 standoff in regulation while Croatia ousted Brazil with a 4-2 win in a penalty shootout.
France really did have to work hard for their win as the first major tournament knockout match between the old sporting rivals maintained the excitement and edge-of-the seat drama that has made it such an extraordinary quarterfinal weekend.
They went ahead after 17 minutes when, after a length-of-the-field break, Antoine Griezmann rolled the ball invitingly into the path of Tchouameni, whose 25-yard low shot flew just inside the post.
England eventually got going, pushing, and probing, and France keeper Hugo Lloris was quick off his line to save at the feet of Kane and then parried another drive from England’s captain.
Lloris was in action again at the start of the second half, tipping a fierce Jude Bellingham shot over the bar as England came out full of purpose and energy.
The dangerous Bukayo Saka was then tripped by Tchouameni and Kane smashed the penalty high beyond his Tottenham Hotspur team mate Lloris to draw level with Wayne Rooney as England’s record scorer on 53 goals.
England, beaten semifinalists four years ago, was buoyed by the goal and was playing with huge confidence but although center-back Harry Maguire brushed a post with a header they could not make their dominance count.
Instead, France hit back as Griezmann swung in a perfect center that Giroud did brilliantly to reach in front of Maguire, planting his header into the slimmest of gaps after 78 minutes.
The cross took the ever-elusive Griezmann beyond Thierry Henry as his country’s top assist provider with 28 and was another reminder of why he has played an extraordinary 72 internationals in a row. — Reuters
