World Cup: France vs Mexico - final
Written by Black Entertainment USA
Some fans of the World Cup may be unaware, but it’s winter in South Africa. And it is a cold wind that’s filled the heart of many french fans today.
France is overrated. It was true in 2006. It was true when the odds were placed on this World Cup. It was proven against Uruguay and has been definitively proven in the match against Mexico.
Both teams came into the match looking to prove something. That they deserved to move on to the Round of 16. That they deserved respect. Mexico has both, France neither.
After a first half that started with a push by Forward #17 Giovani Dos Santos, that resulted in a shot on goal saved by the post and called offsides, the game wound down to a stop and start of free kicks and bad challenges. Back and forth the 2 teams fought, trading long passes and bursts of speed. Neither gaining a solid advantage nor vital connections to players in scoring position.
But the pent up energy of the youth of Mexico was being pulled taunt. With the start of the 2nd half Mexico got more aggressive. They pushed harder. With no avail until the 63rd minute. After 3 wide shots on goal and an offsides attempt in the first half, with 2 more offsides calls on Dos Santos as he attempted to break out, #14 Javier Hernández (a substitute) finally got his opportunity. Receiving a long pass from Mexico captian #4 Rafael Márquez, Hernández broke out, skipped the ball past the charging French goalie #1 Hugo Lloris, and tapped in the ball for a simple goal.
Mexico 1 - France 0
Mexico was inspired. Energized by the youngest member of the team (at 22 years of age), the team surged on the attack. 2 more times the long pass was attempted to Dos Santos, each time he was just offside from another breakout run at the goal. But Mexico would not be denied.
This time it was #7 Pablo Barrera, a substitute coming out of the midfield for his breakout run at the goal. The French were at a loss. They could do almost nothing. And nothing would have been better than what did happen. Defender #3 Eric Abidal, chasing down Barrera, made the flawed decision to challenge for the ball. A foolhardy attempt in the penalty box, one that was assured to draw a yellow card and provide a penalty kick. And it did.
Who would take the penalty kick for Mexico? The youthful Hernández that had done so much to energize the team? Barrera who was cruelly denied his shot on goal? No it would be #10 Cuauhtémoc Blanco, the elder (37 years old) repository of knowledge for Mexico - who had scored in the previous 2 World Cups.
Without hesitation, with a sure right foot to the left side of the net, just outside the reach of the diving Lloris, Blanco scored the deciding goal. Mexico had 2 (Blanco because the first Mexican player to score in 3 seperate World Cup events - 1998, 2002, 2010), France was shut out. 12 minutes of regulation play remained, and France was not the team to recover from this knockout blow. Mexico would not let their first chance of beating a former World Cup winner pass - not after 11 draws and 5 losses to prior winners. Not today.
Mexico went forward and dominated the match from there. They kept the pressure on France. Kept them out of the box and tied up every time they crossed the midfield line. Dos Santos was flying across the pitch to challenge any French player that dared look at the goal with a hope. Mexico was going to win, they were determined.
Thus the match ened with 3 minutes of added time. France was denied a single goal, and with it their chance of advancing equally descended. Mexico is assured an advance into the Round of 16, playing Uruguay next Tuesday. A match that neither team needs to win to advance to the next stage.
The match up of Uruguay vs Mexico will be lackluster. Neither team needs the win. Neither wants to draw a red card or 2nd yellows. Neither can afford to lose players to accidental injuries. Thus the game will likely be a 1 - 1 draw. Enough to advance when nothing else is really needed.
The man of the match was Dos Santos. His energy and drive to win kept the pace high and the pressure strong on France. It was the Battle of Puebla all over again. Like in 1862 the victory was for Mexico.
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