France have booked the final semi final spot with a 2-1 win over England which saw Harry Kane miss a chance to equalise late in the second half when he missed his second penalty of the game.
Quarter Final England v France Match Review
Minutes that Mattered
Welcome to the briefest of match summaries, like a minute by minute you find on professional websites except one that has only the minutes that matter. All wheat, no chaff.
And if the below isn’t enough, for those in Australia you can catch up via the SBS World Cup on Demand.
1′ Min The game begins with the ball being kicked out of play, apparently a faulty ball, let’s hope that it isn’t a sign of things to come with this game with fans left feeling deflated.
3′ Min Nice early pressure from England, who get the ball in French territory thanks to Bukayo Saka pick-pocketing the French defence. Whilst the attack ends up being more bark than bite, an important thing to note is that France have yet to complete a match with a clean sheet, so opportunities will be available. Or disponible as they say in France, according to google.
8′ Min A diagonal cross from deep inside his own half from Harry Maguire turns into the first shot on goal, although “on goal” would be generous as it wasn’t intended, nor was it anywhere near the goal.
10′ Min First corner of the game to France. Referee does the standard talking to players wrestling in the box who like naught toddlers stop for about three seconds before continuing thanks to soft parent-like referee. Oh, and the corner? No good.
11′ Min First shot on target to France. A low cross is given a low header from Olivier Giroud, and it rolls to England keeper Jordan Pickford without much power or trouble,
17′ Min GOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLL TO FRANCE
And seemingly out of nowhere France have hit the lead. France were pushing around the ball outside the England box with no great danger, but then the ball lands to Aurélien Tchouaméni who blasts it from outside the box and beats Pickford to his right.
ENGLAND 0 FRANCE 1
19′ Min Free kick to England on the edge of the box as Rabiot fouls Saka and a quick chance at revenge. Harry Kane and his sort-of lookalike Luke Shaw stand over the ball. And after what seems like two or three minutes to kick one ball Shaw hits it straight at French keeper Lloris.
25′ Min Harry Kane gets the ball and wrestles his way into the penalty area and is brought down. No penalty is given. But wait, VAR are checking……and we are waiting……bloody hell how long does it take especially when they’ll probably tell the referee to have a million looks too. But no, VAR tell Harry Kane and England to get stuffed. Harry Kane’s face remains unchanged, although if England were awarded the penalty it would have been the same.
29′ Min Harry Kane shot gets a nice deflection and a better save from Lloris. A corner follows. The ball remains in the six yard box for a dangerously long time in a bit of a scramble, but eventually cleared by France.
37′ Min The game has descended into the Simpsons parody a little as passes are king and no real threat from either side. Looks like either side is happy with 1-0. We can only presume that only one side will be happy with that score at the end of the game.
39′ Min Mbappe earns a free kick by falling over, and the attacking play ends with his shot going well over the bar.
45 +3′ Min A corner kick to end the first half and a chance for England to equalise. England form their conga line, and like most conga lines they are only funny for seconds. No laughing matter for England as the corner goes long and irrelevant and thus ends their last chance of the half.
Half time and it has to be said that England slightly edged it as the better team, but France have the goal, and in this World Cup that is all that matters. Refer the earlier game of Morocco v Portugal.
HALF TIME – ENGLAND 0 FRANCE 1
46′ Min Early yellow card for Ousmane Dembélé who like a lumberjack tries to chop down Bellingham. Unlike the Monty Python sketch this wasn’t funny and had no chequered shirts and singing.
47′ Min What a save from Lloris. Bellingham, who looks to have recovered from his forestry accident, smashes a shot at goal and Lloris just gets his fingertips to it and over the bar it goes. France get lucky from the corner, as a scramble and loose ball goes their way.
52′ Min PENALTY TO ENGLAND
Bukayo Saka, who has been causing trouble down the right side for England, comes inside for a trip, and that is exactly what happens as he is felled and it’s a simple call. England have a big chance to make it 1-1.
54′ Min GOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLL TO ENGLAND
Harry Kane takes his sweet time but gets the sweet, sweet reward as he send Lloris le wrong way and easily converts to the left. The joy of the moment see Harry Kane crack out a huge grimace.
ENGLAND 1 FRANCE 1
55′ Min England nearly have their pants pulled down straight away as a nothing France pass forward lands in space and out of nowhere Rabiot for France has the ball and shoots. Good save from Pickford saves embarrassment. A minute later and Dembele should have done better with an Mbappe cross.
60′ Min Saka has a crack at goal, but the shot is almost as disappointing as the contents of a Christmas cracker. Not to pick on Saka alone because of the rhyming of Saka and Cracker, Harry Kane takes a shot not long after that was a little lame. Although that doesn’t quite rhyme with Kane, it accurately describes the shot.
69′ Min A 69th minute free kick brings no pleasure for England, but it was close as Harry Maguire, sorry the much maligned Harry Maguire, heads just wide.
75′ Min A few crosses go astray for both sides as they both press on towards victory. We are of course sitting pretty having predicted an England win 2-1 in extra time, which would be the first correct tip for the quarter finals. It doesn’t take long to shut us up for good.
77′ Min What a chance for France. Jordan Pickford saves well from a close Olivier Giroud chance.
78′ Min GOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLL FOR FRANCE
Pickford can’t stop this Giroud attempt as he heads in the ball at pace from a perfect Griezmann cross out wide. It came in the aftermath of the corner from Giroud’s previous shot.
ENGLAND 1 FRANCE 2
80′ Min Mason Mount is smashed off the ball in the penalty box by Theo Hernandez. It is plenty stupid from the French defender as the ball is going well over Mount’s head and he’ll never get to it. The penalty call is initially waved away by the referee, but VAR is lurking in a dark room somewhere……
VAR CHECKING FOR PENALTY….
PENALTY TO ENGLAND
It probably deserved a penalty for the contact. And England have a rapid chance to make amends. It’s Harry Kane, safe as houses you’d think after that previous penalty. And…………
PENALTY MISSED BY HARRY KANE
Harry Kane, captain of England, has the chance to draw England level, and he blasts it over the crossbar. Poor penalty, and poor Harry Kane.
90′ Min Eight minutes of added time to come. Eight minutes to change the it’s leaving to coming home.
90′ +2 Min Corner to England. Not great, neither was the follow up cross. Still plenty of time left.
90′ +9 Min Free kick to England on the edge of the penalty area. Just to the left of centre. This is it for England. Marcus Rashford and Mason Mount stand over the ball. It’s Rashford and his kick is sweetly hit but just misses over the bar. There;s no time left, and England are out.
Final Score
ENGLAND 1
Harry Kane 54′ (pen)
FRANCE 2
Aurélien Tchouaméni 17′ Olivier Giroud 78′
HT France 1-0
Player of the Match
Bukayo Saka or Olivier Giroud
Points of Interest
- Not football related, but interesting to see the electronic advertising highlight that Hisense TVs are #2 globally. Not sure of the marketing strategy to highlight the fact you’re second, usually you try and find a slender category where you are first. Anyways, maybe some companies like to be the Garfunkel of their market.
- Olivier Giroud still looks like a French Will Anderson.
Quarter Final England v France Starting Teams
ENGLAND (4-3-3)
1 Pickford
2 Walker
5 Stones
6 Maguire
3 Shaw
8 Henderson
4 Rice
22 Bellingham
17 Saka
9 Kane
20 Foden
FRANCE (4-2-3-1)
1 Lloris
5 Koundé
4 Varane
18 Upamecano
22 Hernández
8 Tchouaméni
14 Rabiot
11 Dembélé
7 Griezmann
10 Mbappé
9 Giroud
Quarter Final England v France Match Stats
