France needed a second-half Kylian Mbappe penalty to finally break down a stubborn Paraguay side on Saturday, edging a scrappy World Cup last-16 encounter 1-0 to book a quarter-final showdown with Morocco.
Paraguay frustrated France for much of the contest in front of 68,324 spectators at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field, where players battled sweltering heatwave conditions.
But France’s superior quality eventually told. Mbappe calmly converted from the penalty spot in the 70th minute after Desire Doue was brought down in the box.
It was a far cry from the free-flowing attacking displays France had produced earlier in the tournament, with Paraguay refusing to allow Les Bleus any rhythm.
The gulf in quality was nevertheless evident. France dominated possession throughout, while Paraguay failed to register a shot on target until the 90th minute.
Mbappe’s outstanding tournament continued as he drew level with Lionel Messi as the World Cup’s joint-leading scorer on seven goals. The Real Madrid forward now has 19 World Cup goals from just 19 appearances, leaving him one shy of Messi’s all-time tournament record of 20.
Didier Deschamps’ side will now return to their Boston base before facing Morocco in Thursday’s quarter-final in nearby Foxborough. Morocco advanced earlier in the day with a 3-0 victory over Canada.
Temperatures reached 38 degrees Celsius (100 Fahrenheit) in Philadelphia, with extreme weather warnings issued because of the intense heat and the threat of storms.
France’s previous visit to Lincoln Financial Field during the group stage was disrupted by severe weather, with rain and thunder forcing a two-hour delay before their 3-0 victory over Iraq.
July 4 celebrations
This time, there were no interruptions on the 250th anniversary of US independence in the city where the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776.
The pre-match festivities featured actress Idina Menzel performing the US national anthem, a performance by hip-hop group The Roots and a US Air Force flyover.
While Philadelphia’s Independence Day fireworks were reserved for later in the evening, the anticipated French fireworks on the pitch were kept largely under wraps by Paraguay’s disciplined defensive display.
Ranked 41st in the world, Paraguay arrived full of confidence after eliminating Germany on penalties in the previous round and were hoping to claim another major scalp.
They lined up with five at the back, defended in a compact low block and embraced a physical, disruptive approach that frequently tested France’s patience.
Mbappe’s frustrations boiled over when he became involved in a shoving match with Andres Cubas, while Matias Galarza was fortunate to escape further punishment after lashing out at the France captain off the ball moments later.
France monopolised possession but found clear openings difficult to create, with most of their efforts coming from distance.
Manu Kone saw one strike deflected narrowly wide midway through the first half before forcing goalkeeper Orlando Gill into a fine save shortly after the restart.
Paraguay’s tactics were proving effective, but their resistance could only last so long.
With Michael Olise and Ousmane Dembele struggling to make an impact, Deschamps introduced Doue for Bradley Barcola just after the hour mark, shifting the substitute to the left flank.
The change paid immediate dividends.
Doue drove into a crowded penalty area and went to ground under a challenge from Diego Gomez. After a VAR review, the Uzbek referee pointed to the spot.
As several Paraguay players attempted to scuff up the penalty mark, Dembele stood guard before Mbappe stepped up and confidently dispatched the spot-kick.
Having survived a penalty shootout in the previous round, Paraguay’s World Cup run ended because of a penalty this time.
It was far from France’s most convincing performance of the tournament, although Mbappe nearly added a second in stoppage time as Les Bleus moved another step closer to their ultimate goal.
The parallels with France’s triumphant 1998 campaign are striking. They also needed extra time to overcome Paraguay in the last 16 on that occasion before going on to lift the World Cup.
AFP
