Chapter 636: The Mighty French Team!
With Spain defeating Croatia and advancing to the semifinals, the final four teams of this World Cup have been determined: France, England, Spain, and Belgium.
Looking at the teams' origins, it's clear that European football has triumphed once again. European teams have dominated the final four, while their Latin American rivals have been completely eliminated.
Since the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup, Latin American teams have missed out on four consecutive finals. In both 2006 and this year, they didn't even make it to the semifinals.
The days when South American football could compete on equal footing with, or even surpass, European football are long gone. The football world has now fully entered a new era of European dominance.
This outcome isn't surprising. South American domestic leagues simply can't compete with Europe's leagues, which has led to a mass exodus of their best players to the top five European leagues.
The loss of so many talented players has weakened the level of competition in South American leagues, causing the overall quality of their players to decline. This decline directly affects the strength of their national teams, leading to worse results.
The root of the problem lies in the need to strengthen their domestic leagues and retain more talent. If so many young, promising players keep leaving for Europe, even if they succeed there, they'll eventually adapt to the European style of football.
But these are issues for South Americans to worry about. For now, European football is celebrating its victory.
As soon as the semifinal lineup was finalized, debates within the football world erupted.
Everyone was fiercely arguing over who was the favorite to win the World Cup.
Among the four teams, Spain was the reigning champion, having won the last two World Cups, so they were seen as the top contender from the start.
However, France's performance was just as impressive. Their squad was younger, more balanced, and filled with talent across every position, unlike Spain, who heavily relied on Lin Quan.
Football is a team sport, so many believed France had a better chance of winning.
As for England and Belgium, the Three Lions reaching the semifinals was already a pleasant surprise for British fans. While they certainly hoped for a championship, even they knew that England's chances of winning the World Cup were slim.
To say nothing of the fact that getting past Spain in the semifinals would be a huge challenge.
And even if they managed to beat Spain, they'd most likely face their nemesis, France, in the final.
Since the start of the century, England has faced France seven times, with a record of 1 win, 2 draws, and 4 losses—an overwhelming disadvantage.
And that was against a recovering French team. Facing the French squad at their peak, England's chances seemed even slimmer.
As for the Belgian Red Devils, while their lineup was strong and their talent undeniable, those who had watched their matches weren't very confident in them.
There was a sense that this team could only win when things were going their way, but they struggled when faced with adversity.
Their semifinal opponent, France, was a tough nut to crack, and many doubted Belgium would make it past them.
Despite this, Belgium's players remained confident in pre-match interviews.
Eden Hazard: "France is strong, but we are an even better team. My teammates and I will defeat them in tomorrow's match and prove ourselves!"
Though Hazard was Belgium's captain, his performance in this World Cup had been underwhelming.
Of Belgium's 14 goals in five matches, Hazard had only scored one, and it was a penalty.
This paled in comparison to Romelu Lukaku's four goals. As for assists, Kevin De Bruyne led the World Cup with four, tied with Lin Quan, while Hazard had just one assist.
Hazard's performance hadn't lived up to the high expectations placed on him. As one of the most recognized dribblers, second only to Messi and Lin Quan in the eyes of many, Hazard was expected to have a bigger impact.
Given Belgium's relatively weak group stage opponents, Hazard should have produced better stats.
But that hadn't happened, so Hazard was anxious to prove himself. If he failed to make an impact in this match, he would likely disappoint many of his supporters.
In contrast, Lukaku, who had been playing well in this World Cup, seemed inexplicably optimistic:
"France's forwards are strong, and their number 10 is fast, almost as fast as me. But I'm better. Their defenders can't stop me, so we'll be the ones to win!"
The journalist interviewing him was speechless: Was this center-forward seriously comparing his speed to that of a winger?
Although Lukaku was indeed fast, he was no match for Kylian Mbappé. According to official World Cup stats, Mbappé was the fastest wide player in the tournament, with his explosive pace leaving a lasting impression on anyone who watched France's games.
The last to be interviewed was Belgium's midfield maestro, Kevin De Bruyne. Unlike his teammates, De Bruyne was an honest guy who wasn't great with the media:
"France is stronger than we are, so the match will be tough. But we won't give up easily. We'll play our game and do everything we can to win."
The journalist interviewing him looked from De Bruyne to his two teammates and couldn't help but wonder: Are these guys really on the same team?
Lin Quan, watching the interview on TV, couldn't help but slap his forehead in disbelief.
Why was De Bruyne boosting the opponent's morale while lowering his own team's confidence before the match?
While it was true that France was stronger overall, such words should never be spoken. If anything, they should be said after the game—and only if they won.
At any other time, it was entirely inappropriate. With that in mind, Lin Quan gave De Bruyne a call:
"Hey, what's up? I'm about to turn off the lights."
De Bruyne sounded like he was in a hurry to get to sleep. After all, he had a semifinal to play the next day and didn't want to mess up his routine.
"Nothing important now. Good luck tomorrow. See you in the final!"
With that, Lin Quan hung up.
De Bruyne, on the other end, was left puzzled. What was the point of that call?
On July 11th, at the Saint Petersburg Stadium, the first semifinal of the 2018 Russia World Cup kicked off.
The two teams facing off were France in blue and Belgium in red. Another classic red vs. blue showdown!
Although France was favored to win, it was Belgium who took the initiative early in the game.
It was clear that Belgium had done their homework, and they were well-prepared for France's wide attacks, preventing the French from launching their usual counterattacks.
Thanks to De Bruyne's excellent play, Belgium created several dangerous chances in the first half.
But the forwards seemed to have forgotten their shooting boots, wasting several easy chances.
De Bruyne's strong performance caught France's attention, prompting their coach Didier Deschamps to assign N'Golo Kanté to mark him.
Kanté, one of the best defensive midfielders in the world, was a nightmare for even Lin Quan to deal with, let alone De Bruyne.
As Kanté closed him down, De Bruyne's influence began to wane, and Belgium's attack became less threatening.
Hazard, eager to prove himself, found himself struggling again in this match.
He attempted several dribbles and even succeeded a few times, but whether due to desperation or a lack of awareness, he often chose to shoot rather than pass to better-positioned teammates.
His dribbles were flashy, but they lacked substance and didn't pose much of a threat.
The first half ended with the score at 0-0.
Belgium had more dangerous attacks and dominated possession, but France's counterattacks were far more threatening.
Belgium's goalkeeper, Thibaut Courtois, had already made three brilliant saves, while France's Hugo Lloris had only been called into action once.
This made Belgian fans nervous. Everyone knew that France was a slow-starting team.
Their performance in the first half wasn't necessarily a reflection of their true strength. They had a habit of exploding in the second half, overwhelming their opponents and finishing the match in a short burst.
This was exactly how Argentina and Uruguay had been eliminated by France.
Just because Belgium had the upper hand in the first half didn't mean things would be the same in the second half.
The situation could quickly turn against them.
"France and Spain seem like polar opposites!"
"Exactly. France is full of young players, so they take time to find their rhythm and often start slow. But once they hit their stride, they're almost unstoppable!"
"On the other hand, Spain relies on older players, so they tend to tire in the second half. That's why they try to finish the game early."
"I'd love to see these two teams face off in the final—one starts slow, the other fast. Who knows who would come out on top?"
Although this match was still undecided, many fans had already written off Belgium.
They believed that missing so many chances in the first half meant Belgium would have no hope of stopping France's attack in the second half.
Sure enough, when the second half began, it was as if a completely different French team had taken the field.
The players seemed to have woken up from a deep sleep, now full of energy and fighting spirit.
Belgium's goal was repeatedly tested, and in the 51st minute, they finally cracked. France scored with a header from a corner kick, putting them 1-0 ahead.
With this goal, Belgium's situation took a sharp turn for the worse. Now, they were on the back foot, barely able to muster an attack.
Meanwhile, France's offensive onslaught intensified. They attacked from every angle, using set pieces, open play, and quick counterattacks, making life miserable for the Belgians.
In the 63rd minute, Kylian Mbappé received a pass from Paul Pogba, made a blistering run down the wing, cut inside, and blasted the ball into the net to make it 2-0.
Just like a scripted drama, once France woke up, they needed only a few minutes to kill the game.
Thirty minutes later, the referee blew the final whistle.
Tournament favorites France had secured a 2-0 win over Belgium and were the first team to reach the final.
Their opponent would be the winner of the England vs. Spain match.
Seeing France so easily dispatch Belgium sent shockwaves through the football world.
While everyone knew France was strong, they hadn't expected them to be this strong.
Some Belgian fans even publicly called out to Spain after the match:
"Spain, are you ready?"
Lin Quan watched the entire match on TV, and honestly, Belgium's loss was well-deserved.
They wasted several chances they should have capitalized on. Facing a team as tough as France, you can't afford to squander opportunities. What were they thinking they'd use to win?
But seeing just how powerful France was, Lin Quan felt a little shaken.
Mbappé seemed to have grown even stronger in just two months, as if he had suddenly leveled up.
His long runs and cutting inside to shoot had improved significantly.
If Spain were to face him in the final, Lin Quan wasn't sure if his teammates could withstand his relentless attacks.
France's playstyle was also a problem for Spain. France was strongest in the second half, while Spain was at its weakest.
Even if Spain scored two or three goals in the first half, it still wouldn't guarantee a win.
To make matters worse, France's defense was stronger than Lukaku had imagined.
The Umtiti-Varane pairing wasn't elite, but they complemented each other well—one was quick and agile, the other strong and tough, excellent at one-on-one defending.
With Kanté guarding the midfield, scoring against France was no easy task.
This final would be incredibly tough. Spain's chances of beating France were no more than 50%.
Without Lin Quan, they probably wouldn't even have a 20% chance. (End of the Chapter)