Hugo Lloris save defies gravity
● It was arguably the save of the tournament and indisputably the decisive moment in this quarterfinal. France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris provoked gasps from all around the stadium when he seemed to defy gravity, Supermanstyle, to deny Martin Caceres, but its real significance lay both in the timing and the stark contrast with Uruguay’s Fernando Muslera.
France had taken the lead moments earlier in almost identical circumstances when Raphael Varane rose to meet Antoine Griezmann’s free-kick, but with Muslera helpless on that header and later making a dreadful mistake to gift France a second, their surprisingly routine progress to a first World Cup semifinal since 2006 was confirmed.
Uruguay had barely threatened and badly missed Edinson Cavani.
Lloris, captain of Tottenham and France, always speaks and acts with a calm authority among so many emerging younger players. His save from Caceres was unusual not just for the distance of his dive but how he hung in the air long enough to get sufficient strength behind his right palm. Uruguay were ultimately forced to play with rather more risk in the second half and that actually made the game easier for France.
Uruguay had largely got players behind the ball and aimed to use both their physicality and what had been the tournament’s best defence to frustrate France. It helps when you have perhaps the world’s best centreback in Diego Godin behind you, but Arsenal transfer target Lucas Torreira was initially especially effective. He is identical in height to N’Golo Kante and, with the Chelsea midfielder quietly disrupting any Uruguay attacks at the other end of the pitch, Torreira was doing the same amid almost 40 minutes of stalemate.
But a set-piece and a moment of defensive indiscipline proved decisive. Rodrigo Bentancur had been booked for his poor tackle on Corentin Tolisso and it was from this foul that France took the lead through Varane. “We have some margin to get better,” he said. Muslera, having almost cost his team a goal by hesitating with a clearance that nearly cannoned back in off Griezmann, he then horribly misjudged a curling — but still fairly tame — shot from the Atletico Madrid striker. Rather than palm the ball away, it deflected into his goal and France had breathing space.