France — Morocco

I-France 2–0 i-Morocco. Ikota-fayinali. I-Gillette Stadium, i-Foxborough. Umphumela ubonakala uhlanzekile. Umdlalo wawungelula neze. Nansi into exakayo: I-France yayinethuba eliningi, i-Morocco yona yayiphethe ibhola. Ama-Les Bleus aqeda nge-xG engu-3.04. I-Morocco? Ukuhleba nje — 0.14. Amashothi amahlanu esewonke, elilodwa elibhekise ethaveni, amathuba amakhulu ayiziro. Ngayo yonke indlela yokuhlasela, kwakungefani. Kodwa imizuzu engamashumi ayisithupha ibhodi yezikolo yayibhalwe u-zero-zero, futhi i-Morocco yayibukeka ikwazi ukuthola okuthile ekuhlaseleni okusheshayo. Lokho kungezwani yikho kanye okwenza ingxenye yokuqala yafaneleka yonke imizuzwana. Inkinga ye-France yayisobala: amathuba amakhulu amahlanu adalwe, amathuba amakhulu amahlanu aphuthelwe. Isandla esigcwele samathuba amahle kakhulu achithwa ngaphambi kokuba kuphumelele. Uma bebhekene nokuhlasela okuhlelekile, lo mdlalo wawuzophela ngendlela ehluke kakhulu. Kwase kufika umzuzu wama-60. U-Mbappé ekugcineni washaya igoli, futhi kwaphazamisa ukwakheka kwe-Morocco ngokuphelele. Ngemuva kwemizuzu eyisithupha, u-Ousmane Dembélé — umdlali ovelele walobo busuku, olinganiselwe ku-8.6 — wengeza elesibili. U-Dembélé wayengadlali kahle ngezinye izikhathi: leyo ndlela yokudonsa ibhola enesikhungo esiphansi esenza abavikeli babukeke sengathi bagijima esihlabathini. Uma ekulesi simo, bambalwa abavikeli abasemhlabeni abanempendulo. Ukudunyiswa kwe-Morocco kufanele kushiwo ngokusobala: U-Yassine Bounou wayemuhle kakhulu. Izinto eziyisithupha ezisindisiwe, isilinganiso esingu-8.24 — wagcina iqembu lakhe liphila ngehora lokuqala cishe yedwa. Ngaphandle kwakhe lo mphumela wawuzofundeka u-4–0 uma kubhekwa i-xG. Ukwakheka kokuvikela kwabamba, ukucindezela kwakuhlelekile, futhi ukuba nebhola okungu-52% nokunemba kokudlulisela okungu-86% kwakhombisa ukuthi leli kwakungelona iqembu elipaka ibhasi. Babenecebo. Icebo lalingenayo imiphumela. Isikhathi se-VAR ngomzuzu wama-25 sizobangela impikiswano: iphenalthi enikezwe i-France ngemuva kokushayisana no-Mbappé. Ingabe ukushayisana kwakwanele? Ingabe ukunyakaza kuka-Mbappé ekushayisaneni kwakuyisici? Unompempe u-Tello Figueroa walinikeza. Wena unqume. Ku-FootLegion, amagoli esizwe sakho aphila phakade — ayikho i-VAR, ayikho ikota-fayinali engawathatha. Imibuzo emibili yamazwana: Ingabe i-France yayimuhle ngempela ngalobu busuku, noma ingabe i-Morocco yavele yazikhandla ngokuvikela? Futhi ngamathuba amakhulu amahlanu aphuthelwe ekota-fayinali — ingabe leli qembu lingakwazi ngempela ukufika ekugcineni?