History beckoned as the Day of the remaining two Quarter Finals unravelled into a beautiful Arab evening. The hugely improved, History chasing Moroccans were to take on the dangerous Portugese, and the defending Champions France were drawn to face England, a pity that one of the two towering nations of Football would perish at night fall.
Morocco vs Portugal : ( 1-0 )
Portugal were on a high after the 6-1 drubbing they handed to Switzerland a few days ago and that too without Cristiano Ronaldo. Morocco without conceding a single goal had worked extremely hard to reach this far. An engaging contest was on the cards with a slight edge in favour of the Portugese. Cristiano Ronaldo was benched again as Fernando Santos preferred to start the match without him.
Moroccan Surge… Pays
The initial minutes saw a quick surge from the Portugese resulting in a great chance which Yassine Bono blocked with his quicksilver reflexes. The Moroccans were woken up so to say and forged a string of purposeful moves both from the right and the left flanks. The intent was there and the knock on the Portugese goal was getting louder and louder and eventually the breakthrough arrived when a Youssef En-Nesyri header landed into the Portugese goal.
Nesyri Header seals it for Morocco
Towering Nesyri
En-Nesyri’s header will go down in the history books as one of the best in the tournament purely on the basis of the jump he made towering above Diogo Costa, the Portugese Goalkeeper and one of the defenders. The jump would have made any athlete proud. The height which En-Nesyri gained and the timing of it was simply brilliant. Diogo Costa had no chance as the ball just sailed into the net. It was a vital goal in the 42nd minute and considering the strong defensive play of the Africans, it was not going to be easy for the Portugese.
Huge Grit on Display
The second half was all about the Portugese attack and the Moroccans gritty defence. The Portugese pounded the Moroccan half, but the North Africans stood like rocks. Their centre half Amrabat and the deep defence should be praised for their stoic resistance. The Moroccans are not only skillful with the ball, but are extremely organised when they defend and this was clearly on display. Gonçalo Ramos was completely subdued by the Moroccans and he never got going. Ronaldo replaced him and gave his absolute best. He set up Joau Felix who fired in a lovely left footer only to be parried away by Bono in a superb save.
The Spirit of Sport
Morocco make History as Ronaldo leaves in Tears
The elusive equaliser never arrived and Morocco made history to become the first African nation ever to reach the Semi-Finals of the World Cup in its 92 year old history. The scenes at the Al Thumama stadium were unbelievable. Cristiano Ronaldo left the pitch inconsolable. The journey of one of the greats of the game had virtually ended. We might have seen the last of him. The pain was palpable. He could have given much more but that was not to be. It was Morocco’s night and they gave every ounce of their energy to it and emerged victorious.
France vs England : ( 2-1 )
The defending Champions were up against a mighty opposition and considering their recent forms there was nothing much to choose between France and England as they squared up against each other in an epic battle, witnessed by a jam packed Al-Bayt Stadium.
Tchouameni Brilliance
France drew first blood through a resounding strike from the young French midfielder Aurelion Tchouameni. It was a jolt from a fair distance outside the English box. Pickford who has been good in Goal reacted may be a fraction of a second late and the ball just passed his outstretched hands. England were shaken and they mounted several attacks on the French Goal but the defending champions managed to hold on to the lead going into the second half.
England Reply as Kane equals Record
As time elapsed there was more urgency in the English ranks and a fine move by Bukayo Saka ended with a penalty against France due to an infringement by none other than the goal scorer Tchouameni. Harry Kane a master at penalty conversions fired a powerful one past Lloris and the English were at level terms in the 54th minute. Harry Kane also became the joint top scorer for England at the World Cups with Wayne Rooney.
The Griezmann-Giroud Show
The penalty spurred the French and the talented Antoine Griezmann who has always lived under the shadow of French greats produced a telling cross from the left flank where a waiting Oliver Giroud headed France’s second goal. The precision of the cross was top class and Oliver Giroud, whose ability in the air is unquestionable, combined to take France ahead in the 78th minute.
France Stay Alive
The Great Servant misses & England Exit
England kept the pressure on and looked to equalise anytime and were rewarded with a penalty again in the 83rd minute. The great servant of English Football, the master of penalties, the cool captain Kane, skied the shot over the top of the goal. It was a miss who no one had expected. The English fans watched in bewilderment and few began to cry. Marcus Rashford was brought in at that point and in my opinion a touch too late for the ace marksman in good form, to make a difference to the outcome. Gareth Southgate, the English Manager might have missed a trick. However the French continued to defend manfully, with Lloris staving off a terrific strike from Jude Bellingham. In the dying seconds England managed a free kick just outside the box, but it was not to be as the Marcus Rashford strike sailed just above the crossbar. The French had earned a famous victory.
A Night Never Seen Before
A nerve jangling, emotionally draining, amazing night at the World Cup ended with history being created. The Moroccans celebrated. They fought like Gladiators. The emotions ran high as the team rejoiced with families on the ground. Their mothers there to bless them and to be a part of history. The scenes were unimaginable. The Portugese left in tears too. Fernando Santos benched a big player in a big match and paid the price. Harry Kane of all people missed a penalty and England perished at the break of dawn with France staying alive to fight another day.
Till the Semi-Finals, Read QUICK, Read BETTER @ rizkhan.in
One thing I find is that in this World Cup a top- class sportswriter and journalist has emerged from anonymity to make a name for himself.
Riz Khan has been writing wonderfully capturing electrifying moments , reporting eloquently but dispassionately the significant developments as every game progresses.Very keenly observing , analysing and recording the subtleties of the game and the craftsmanship of the attackers / defenders in this most popular sport. The fans of this game eagerly await his posts and enjoy no end in sharing his enthusiasm.