Behind the team, a nation | Columnists | Sports

A cry roars from Africa and invades the world: Morocco…! An excited nation, mobilized by football, is at the forefront of fame thanks to its team, which is making history: it is the first time that a team from that continent has reached the semi-finals of a World Cup. And everyone is happy here, even their possible rivals. His enthusiasm generates sympathy, the passion with which he plays, the fabulous dedication of all his men, the mystique that Walid Regragui, his young coach, has created, the fusion with the fans who seem to fall from the stands with so much emotion, with so much encouragement. And at home, they say, people don’t even sleep from joy and excitement. In Qatar it is the fans who compete with Argentina in numbers and support.

The red-green team won their group undefeated, which was not easy at all. They started by drawing 0-0 with Croatia, then beat Belgium 2-0 and Canada 2-1, drew 0-0 with Spain and eliminated on penalties and now eliminated Portugal 1-0. he talks about the ardor and determination with which he defends his bow. Also how well organized defensively: they are the team with the fewest goals conceded. And above all it hurts just enough.

Modric-Messi, night of geniuses

It has many players in the best European leagues, Hakimi (Paris Saint-Germain), Ziyech (Chelsea); Mazraoui (Bayern Munich), Aguerd (West Ham), Amrabat (Fiorentina), Bono (Seville), En-Nesyri (Seville)… Regragui took three months before the World Cup to replace Bosnian veteran Vahid Halilhodzic, who he did not recall some of the figures – Ziyech and Mazraoui – for whom an internal rebellion was generated. They called him urgently and he put together this already historic team. He has a good connection to the players, he gets the best out of them. The exceptional physical performance of the Moroccans together with the ferocity with which they act are the hallmark of this team that has already announced that it wants it all. He wasn’t satisfied with winning his group, nor with reaching the quarter-finals or now the semi-finals. He wants great glory. They have to go to war and the people accompany them.

Europe was not needed

They cooked Portugal with the same recipe as the others: running, putting on, very concentrated, leaving life in every strand, in every jump, in every run. And they play with a surprising solidarity that any other manager would want. It is one for all and all for one. Portugal is a more harmonious formation from a football point of view and full of first-rate names, young and balanced in lines, which attacks and defends well. It is a very elaborate work by Fernando Santos. But he couldn’t face the fervor shown by these Moroccans, who also don’t back down from anyone. The fervor and the leg, which do not bind her. Spaniards still complain about Moroccan harshness today. Against Portugal he committed 15 fouls. The whole team is a sandpaper. Terrible for deployment and commitment to the shirt. En-Nesyri, the 1.88 pointer made the leap of his life, passed goalkeeper Diego Costa’s hands in the air and gave victory to the country of Mohamed V.

Loved, hated, feared, sought after

Morocco’s celebrated victory marked Cristiano Ronaldo’s sad farewell to the World Cup. He scored a goal from a penalty, didn’t make a single play, lost ownership in his team and his personal image was devalued. No one can play by decree.

Now it’s up to France, a clash with great political reminiscences and a colonial scent. History will play a transcendental role in this confrontation. Whoever was dominated does not forget it even if five centuries pass. And a soccer game is an excellent setting for settling pride. It will not be free for Mbappé to move to the left wing, where Ounahi and Hakimi will take him. If Spain found it difficult to overcome the fiery atmosphere in a 44,000 capacity stadium, France will feel like a real guest at Al Bayt, with 50,000 spectators against them. We had commented on it in previous writings, there are better teams, but Morocco plays with its soul. And it has a nation behind it.

The contagious emotion of Morocco

France is the strongest team. Even the luckiest. Everything is given to him. And say so England, who dominated in 90 of the 101 minutes of the match. Who created half a dozen clear goal situations and lost. Sure, there’s a definition deficit in the Three Lions box. He also had a Harry Kane penalty to equalize and shoot high. It ends 2-1 in favor of France with two very timely goals, for the moment and for the state of form. First, Tchouameni saw the circle from afar, as soon as he stopped it he fired a surface-to-air missile that slipped into the corner that archers hate the most, the one over there, where they can’t get even if they fly. Great goal for Bill and why it wasn’t even a goal situation. A cannon shot that surprised the entire English fleet and a complete use of nothing. The second, due to Giroud’s advance and a masterful header inside the box.

France didn’t shine, they were beaten in dangerous situations and in all statistical areas: shots on goal (16 to 8 for England), ball possession (58% to 42%), corners (5 to 2 ), passing (503 to 378 ), passing accuracy (87% to 81%). The only thing France got through was in yellow cards (3-1) and fouls committed (14-10). Numbers that clearly speak of its production. The exclusive figure of him was the goalkeeper Lloris. This time Mbappé nearly touched the ball. And they marked it with legality. It is an ultra-pragmatic team, which exploits everything. Its greatest asset is its effectiveness against the rival target. Poland had already made him look bad in the first half, but then Mbappé pulverized him. Well, what is said with a certain brilliance, Deschamps’ eleven have won only one game, the first against Australia by 4 to 1. When Mbappé is experiencing an explosive afternoon, he compensates well for the limits of the collective game. So he looks like a car, but he’s not. On Wednesday against Morocco they will have an uncomfortable rival, who surely no one wants to face.

“I didn’t leave the house to eat chicken,” a woman complains to her husband at a restaurant. And we didn’t come to Qatar to be cold. But we passed it. Yesterday in Doha it was around 14 degrees and those who attended the stadium confidently, like the previous days in a jersey or t-shirt, suffered for hours. Not a Qatari oven, not in November-December. (OR)