France — Sweden

I-MetLife Stadium yabamba umoya wayo imizuzu engama-44, kwase kuthi uKylian Mbappé wakhumbuza umhlaba ukuthi kungani iFrance yafika eNew Jersey njengabathandwa bomqhudelwano. Kodwa nansi into ephikisanayo okufanele uhlale nayo: isikolo sithi 3-0, futhi okokuqala ngqa asiqambi amanga. I-xG yaseFrance engu-3.17 ngokumelene ne-Sweden engu-0.67 iwukubonakaliswa okuqotho komdlalo webhola njengoba uzoke ukubone. Akukho ukuphanga okukhulu. Ukudiliza nje okucacile. Ingxenye yokuqala yaseFrance yayiminyanisa — ukubamba ibhola ngamaphesenti angama-71, ukunemba kokudlula ngamaphesenti angama-88, amakhona ayisishiyagalolunye ngaphambi kokuphela komdlalo. I-Les Bleus yacindezela phezulu futhi yadabula phakathi nendawo ye-Sweden njengokungathi ayikho. Igoli likaMbappé ngesikhathi sekhefu laliyisiphetho esingenaluzwelo kakhulu. Isikhathi saphula umoya waseSweden ngaphambi kokuba ikhefu lifike. Nokho iFrance yashiya amathuba amakhulu amane engawashintshanga kwabayisithupha abadalwe. Lokho kuchitha kuyiphethini leli qembu elingakwazi ukukukhokhela ngokumelene nabaphikisi abaqinile emizuliswaneni elandelayo. Ukuqeda kukaBarcola ngomzuzu wama-53 kwakubukhali futhi kubalulekile, igoli lesibili likaMbappé ngomzuzu wama-74 lakuqinisekisa — kodwa inani lezikhathi ibhola lokugcina eliphekwe kakhulu laliyethusa ngempela eqenjini elinekhono kangaka. I-Sweden yayingesona isigebengu. Babuyisa ukubamba ibhola engxenyeni yesibili — amaphesenti angama-47 ngemuva kokuminyanisa okungama-29 kokuqala — futhi u-Alexander Isak wabonisa ukukhanya kokudlala okunamandla kokubamba ibhola. Kodwa amathuba amakhulu ayiziro kuyo yonke imizuzu engama-90 atshengisa indaba yangempela. Indlela yabo yokuvikela yayiqondile; ukuguqulwa kwabo kokuhlasela kwakuhamba kancane kakhulu futhi kwakulindeleke kakhulu. Ukushintsha kabili ngomzuzu wama-66 kwashintsha isivinini kancane kodwa akuzange kusongele isikolo. UMbappé, olinganiselwe ku-9.9, wayevela kwenye indawo — amagoli amabili, ukucindezela okungapheli, ukunyakaza okungapheli okudonsa abavikeli ngaphandle kwesimo. UMichael Olise ku-9.33 wayeyinjini yokudala ngemuva kwezinhlanganisela ezinhle kakhulu zaseFrance. Ngasohlangothini lwaseSweden, unozinti uJacob Widell Zetterström — olinganiselwe ku-8.81, ukonga okuyisishiyagalolunye — yisona kuphela isizathu esenza lokhu kungabi yihlazo lamagoli ayisithupha. Ku-FootLegion, amagoli izwe lakho eliwashayayo kuleNdebe Yomhlaba awawenu phakade — akekho owathathayo. Manje, imibuzo yamazwana: ingabe uMbappé ekugcineni uyakwenza lapho kubaluleke ngempela, noma ingabe i-Sweden yayiyisivivinyo esilinganiselwe kakhulu? Futhi ingabe iFrance ingakwazi ukugcina lokhu okukhiqizwayo ngokumelene neqembu elicindezela emuva?