The France-Belgium game was a match of names. On one side, Dembélé, Griezmann and Mbappé. On the other, Lukaku, Carrasco and above all Kevin De Bruyne. These are the names, because if we focus on the performance of the teams, the story is different.
France has achieved better results than football in recent years. Winner of the 2018 World Cup, champion of the 2021 Nations League and runners-up at the 2022 World Cup. Despite this good record, Les Bleus have been the subject of criticism for their lackluster and conservative football, which does not correspond to the level of their players. If teams are a reflection of their coaches, France more than meets this maxim. As an example, a button: when the decisive phase arrives, the win or go homeDeschamps dispenses with Dembelé.
Things were not looking any better for the Red Devils. Belgium has been stuck in a “I want to, but I can’t” mode for five years. Hazard, Lukaku, De Bruyne, Courtois… failed to get the team to live up to what their individual talents represented.
Given these figures, what can we expect from the match? In statistics, linear regression is the technique that allows us to predict future events based on past events. Well, the first half of the match could be a perfect example. Little football, no attacks into the penalty area, and the stars of both teams acting as if the match had nothing to do with them. Except for Griezmann.
The second half started a little better. The Little Prince deserves special mention. He is the soul of this team, above Mbappé. His constant mobility, dropping back to accompany Rabiot in the creation, was oxygen for France. It is surprising (or not) the lack of prominence that Deschamps is giving to Camavinga. A player with physical display and quality to link up, with decent arrival and shot.
As expected, the French goal came with 5 minutes to go in the 90th minute. And of course, it was a rebound. Kolo Muani saved us from 30 more minutes of unambitious and conservative football. In short, too many names for so little football.
Filed under: Eurocup
2024-07-01 19:13:00
#names #football
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