Foxborough, July 10 (IANS) Coach Didier Deschamps said France’s latest World Cup milestone reflected more than individual brilliance, praising his team’s experience, unity and ability to handle pressure after Les Bleus reached a third consecutive FIFA World Cup semi-final with a 2-0 victory over Morocco.

Dominant but ineffective in the first half, France made the difference in the second half, overcoming a stubborn Moroccan side at Boston Stadium through goals from Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele.

With the win, France extended their remarkable run of reaching the last four at every World Cup since 2018. Moreover, it was their 17th win in 20 World Cup matches since the 2018 edition (2 draws, 1 loss), at least seven more than any other nation.

For Deschamps, the achievement underlined how his squad has developed the maturity needed to survive the toughest moments of tournament football.

“We are proud to be here for the third time in a row,” Deschamps was quoted by Xinhua. “Given the first half, with the three goals we missed including the penalty, we were not at our best in that respect. But the opponents had to run, they were tired and that opened spaces. We blocked the opponents and prevented them from moving and we were able to play further up.”

France created a series of chances before the break and forced Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou into several important saves. Deschamps said the team never lost belief despite failing to convert its early opportunities.

Mbappe, who missed the penalty, eventually made amends by scoring France’s opening goal, taking his World Cup tally to 20. He became the first player to be involved in at least 100 goals for the French national team (101 – 64 goals and 37 assists).

“When it’s Kylian, there’s no problem — he never doubts himself,” Deschamps said.

Beyond the contributions of his star players, Deschamps highlighted the importance of experience within the squad.

“Experience is the difference between the first semifinal in 2018 and now,” Deschamps said. “We are not copying and pasting because situations are different, conditions are different, but we know what is needed. The most important thing is to have the right mentality in a group, whether players are playing or not playing.”

The coach emphasised the importance of squad harmony, pointing to players who have accepted different roles while continuing to contribute behind the scenes.

Deschamps said, “Some players don’t play a lot, but I am with them every day. All of them are pulling through for the team. They understand that being part of the French team is a duty to France, to the fans and to the young generation.”

He dismissed suggestions that captain Mbappe is an individualistic player. “Many people think Kylian only thinks about himself. That’s completely false. As captain, he’s exemplary. When Dembele scored his hat-trick, Kylian was just as happy as if he had scored it himself.”

“The collective always comes before everything else. Everyone is committed, whether they’re on the pitch or not.”

France will next face either Spain or Belgium for a place in the final.

“We are in the semifinals, but we are not in the final,” Deschamps said. “We have another game which will be tough. The goal is to go to the final, step by step. We know what we are aiming for.”

–IANS

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