France needed a second-half Kylian Mbappe penalty to break down a stubborn Paraguay side, winning a niggly World Cup last-16 clash 1-0 to set up a quarter-final showdown with Morocco.
Paraguay’s efforts to get under the skin of France’s superstars worked for three quarters of a game played in front of 68,324 fans in Philadelphia in heatwave conditions.
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However, the quality in the French ranks eventually shone through, with Mbappe converting from the spot on 70 minutes after Desire Doue was brought down.
This was not an attacking masterclass by the French like they had produced in their previous games, but Paraguay did not allow them to play that way.
It was very much a mismatch, though, with Les Bleus having almost all of the ball and Paraguay not managing a shot on target until the 90th minute.
Mbappe’s brilliant World Cup on a personal level continued as he rejoined Lionel Messi as the tournament’s joint-top scorer with seven goals.
The Real Madrid striker now has 19 World Cup goals in total — from 19 appearances — meaning he is just one behind Messi’s overall record of 20.
Didier Deschamps’ team will now return to their Boston base to prepare for a last-eight clash in nearby Foxborough next Thursday against the Moroccans, who beat Canada 3-0 earlier.
It was a sweltering day in Philadelphia, with temperatures of 38 degrees Celsius (100 Fahrenheit) and extreme weather warnings in place in case of storms.
France’s last visit to Lincoln Financial Field, during the group phase, was affected by storms, as rain and thunder led to a two-hour delay during their 3-0 win over Iraq.
This time there were no interruptions to a game played on the 250th anniversary of US independence, and in the city where the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776.
A pre-match concert on the pitch featured a rendition of the US national anthem by the actress Idina Menzel, a performance by hip-hop band The Roots, and a US Air Force flyover.
A fireworks display in the city to mark July 4 was not due to take place until later, and the anticipated French pyrotechnics on the pitch were contained for long spells by the Paraguayans.
Ranked 41st in the world, Paraguay had ousted Germany on penalties in the last round and were aiming to claim another huge scalp here.
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They played with a back five, defended with a low block, and were quite happy to live up to some South American stereotypes with a cynical approach at times.
That led to Mbappe’s frustrations getting the better of him as he got involved in a shoving match with Andres Cubas. Moments later, Matias Galarza had a little lash out at the France captain off the ball.
France had practically all of the ball but struggled to do anything with it, being restricted to shots from long range.
Manu Kone had one attempt deflected just wide midway through the first half and another tipped over by Orlando Gill not long after the restart.
Paraguay’s attempts to frustrate France were working, but the dark arts would only get them so far.
While Michael Olise and Ousmane Dembele were struggling to influence the game, Deschamps opted to remove Bradley Barcola and put Doue on the left wing in his place.
That was just after the hour mark, and Doue quickly made an impact. When he attempted to dribble his way through a sea of Paraguayan defenders, he went down under contact from Diego Gomez. The foul was clear and the Uzbek referee pointed to the spot after a review.
Dembele protected the penalty spot as several Paraguay players tried to rough it up. Mbappe then stepped forward and slotted in.
Having won on penalties in the last round, Paraguay’s resistance was broken by one this time.
It was not a vintage France performance, but Mbappe almost scored again in stoppage time, and they have taken another step towards their goal.
In 1998 they needed a golden goal to beat Paraguay at the same stage of the competition. And they went on to win that World Cup.
Despite widespread criticism, Paraguay coach Gustavo Alfaro said his side had “fought like lions”.
“France couldn’t find the answers, and it took a bit of individual skill and a penalty given by VAR to make the difference which their football had not been able to do,” Alfaro said after the game.
The South American nation were appearing at the World Cup for the first time since 2010 and had been hoping to match their run to the quarter-finals at that tournament, which remains best ever showing.
The tactics they employed to try to unsettle their opponents irritated France forward Kylian Mbappe, while coach Didier Deschamps accused Paraguay of issuing verbal insults.
But Alfaro insisted his men had “fought like lions out on the pitch”. He added: “It took us 16 years to get back to a World Cup, while Mbappe won the World Cup the first time he played in it, got to the final in his second and now is fighting to be the top scorer.” It remains the case that Paraguay’s only victories in the knockout stages of the World Cup have come in penalty shoot-outs — including against Germany in Boston in the last 32.
“We worked so hard to get a different result but I will leave here with the knowledge that we came to compete and we did compete,” added Alfaro, who added that his team were in tears of disappointment in the dressing room after the match.
“I have no doubt that this World Cup has made us all better, although I am sad to go out because I hoped we might go further.”