Defending champion France moves on to semifinal round
AL KHOR, QATAR >> France’s players reacted as if they had already won the World Cup. What they were actually celebrating, though, was Harry Kane’s missed penalty.
The match wasn’t over yet, but France was leading 2- 1 when Kane, England’s captain and its best player, stepped up to take a penalty that would even the score in the 84th minute of Saturday’s match at Al Bayt Stadium.
He sent his shot high over the bar and defending champion France held on to win 2- 1 for a spot in the semifinals.
“That’s football,” England coach Gareth Southgate said. “There is nobody I would rather have in that situation and if we had one tomorrow, I’d feel exactly the same way.”
France is looking to become the first country to successfully defend its World Cup title since Brazil — led by Pele — won back- to- back tournaments in 1958 and 1962.
Italy also won two World Cups in succession in 1934 and 1938.
France will next face Morocco on Wednesday for a spot in the final.
“We are getting to the semifinals. We are closer to the final and this was an important achievement tonight and we can believe, but we have an important game on Wednesday,” France coach Didier Deschamps said. “In the past the world champions didn’t always do well in the next World Cup and we’ve managed to do that.”
France knows that all too well.
As defending champions in 2002, the French team was eliminated in the group stage. France reached the final in 2006, losing to Italy in a penalty shootout, and then was knocked out in the group stage four years later in 2010.