France and Belgium to meet in the World Cup semi-final
Victories over Uruguay and Brazil saw these two sides book their place in the last four
Raphael Varane’s glancing header and a goalkeeping blunder that gifted Antoine Griezmann a soft goal gave France a 2-0 victory over Uruguay in the first World Cup quarter-final on Friday and set them up for a last-four tie with either Brazil or Belgium.
Soccer Football - World Cup - Quarter Final - Uruguay vs France - Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia - July 6, 2018 France's Antoine Griezmann with coach Didier Deschamps after being substituted REUTERS/Damir Sagolj
Uruguay went into the game without key striker Edinson Cavani, who was ruled out with a calf injury, with Cristhian Stuani drafted into the starting line-up.
The impact on their attack was noticeable. Without Cavani, who scored twice in the round of 16 win against Portugal, Uruguay’s moves forward lacked a focal point, and Luis Suarez found less space and openings against a well-drilled French defence.
The South Americans battled but their talented generation of players, including the defensive rock Diego Godin, look like ending their international careers without the World Cup success they have threatened to deliver.
Belgium struck early and then held off a late Brazil fightback to send the five-times champions tumbling out of the World Cup at the quarter-final stage with a 2-1 victory in an end-to-end thriller on Friday.
A Fernandinho own goal and brilliant Kevin De Bruyne strike, after Thiago Silva had hit the post for Brazil, earned Belgium a date with neighbours France in St Petersburg on Tuesday, their second trip to the last four at a World Cup after 1986.
Brazil will depart at the last eight stage for the third time in the last four World Cups despite the best efforts of talismanic forward Neymar, who followed Argentina’s Lionel Messi and Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo out of the tournament.
Published: by Radio NewsHub