It’s done. France have secured their spot in the Round of 32 of the World Cup, on Monday night, against Iraq — and that, despite an unusual context and difficult playing conditions. At half time, the match was first suspended for about 20 minutes due to a thunderstorm over Philadelphia, before resuming two hours after the break.
An unprecedented situation for footballers, who had to stay focused while the match was still unfinished.
"Personally, I’ve never experienced anything like this. This is a whole different game," explains Guillaume Hoarau. "The danger is the waiting, really. When you don’t know, that’s when frustration can build: you’re completely out of your match, you cool down, you lose your emotional rhythm.
"I imagine that during this long period - two hours, after all - they must have taken the time to debrief, to adjust what needed to be adjusted. But the protocol in this kind of situation is to get ready again physically and mentally, to stay calm and focused.
"And I think that’s exactly what they did: take their time, get back up, refocus. As soon as you step back on the pitch, it’s warm-up time: you get right back into it. But it’s true, two hours is extremely long."
But the bottom line is that France did the job and managed to win 3-0. Sure, the Iraqi opposition “wasn’t extraordinary,” but at least, “it helps to get ready before the important matches.” Above all, Didier Deschamps took advantage of the match to reshape his starting XI, making a few adjustments: bringing in Lucas Digne, Manu Kone and Bradley Barcola, in place of Theo Hernandez, Aurelien Tchouameni and Desiré Doue.
A coach driven by efficiency: Barcola the 'game changer'
Bingo for Didier Deschamps, his changes paid off quickly as the team was much more coherent from the start than against Senegal: "He’s a master at this, a real expert. He’s only driven by the will to win. Before this match, his priority was to put together the best team to win, not to please anyone — that’s not what he’s paid for."
"As for the choices made, for me, the 'game changer' is Barcola," says the former PSG striker. "Of course, Manu Koné played very well, but Tchouameni did the same in the previous match. Lucas Digne, we know his quality, great attitude, but Hernandez is just as good. No, really, for me Barcola is the game changer, just like Doue.
"He brings depth and speed. That means one less player dropping deep to get the ball at his feet, and one more player making runs in behind - the game moves faster. In the end, he creates more space for himself, because he stretches the lines. And thanks to that, Olise had a great time yesterday, playing as a number 10. For me, that’s the theme of the match."
This raises the same debate as at PSG for the French team: who between Doue and Barcola should join the front four alongside Mbappe, Dembele and Olise. Each brings their own strengths, but it’s up to Deschamps to make the call for the rest of the tournament, even if the trend is leaning towards Barcola after this performance against Iraq.
"Doue or Barcola, it’s a debate just like we had at PSG," Hoarau recalls. We’ve always been able to trust Didier Deschamps: with his experience, he’ll manage to get the best out of both. They’re young, so they won’t go against the team, let alone the coach.
"I think that against Norway, first place in the group will be at stake. Deschamps could even try both and give Dembele or Olise a rest. But for me, the main theme is still Barcola: he’s the one who brought that fluidity, precisely because he doesn’t drop deep to get the ball like Doue does. When Doue drops deep, when Olise drops deep, when Dembele drops deep, that’s already too many players in midfield. Yesterday, with Barcola, that was really the difference."
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Mbappe - hungry for records
The other good news is Mbappe’s 15th and 16th World Cup goals. With this tally, the French captain has matched Ronaldo, then Miroslav Klose — a new record full of symbolism, as it’s such a difficult feat to achieve. Earlier in the tournament, Lionel Messi, thanks to his brace against Austria, brought his total to 18 goals: the new target now in the sights of the Real Madrid player.
"As for Mbappe, I’m not surprised," Hoarau points out. "You can see it in his body language on the pitch: he didn’t come to this World Cup just to make up the numbers, you can really feel his commitment. A bit like Cristiano Ronaldo: we’re playing Iraq, so if he can score five, he’ll score five.
"Last week, he already said you have to trust him — and here you go, he’s proved it again. Great players, anyway, always step up at some point. And seeing him reach some of these World Cup records just shows we’re witnessing something truly, truly special.
I think teams are now officially afraid of France. And I’m convinced Mbappé is already eyeing the next record to break. He’ll go after everything, that’s just how he is: he’s hungry, hungry to win. With everything he’s been through this season, he has plenty of motivation — and when he steps onto the pitch, he lets out all that frustration.
Dembele - the breakthrough we were waiting for
Finally, the one who shone last night, after facing a wave of criticism, was Dembele. After struggling in the first half of the opening match, the Ballon d’Or winner was moved to the right wing. Against Senegal, he played in the 10.
A simple but necessary adjustment. The PSG player delivered a very solid performance, staying very active, which was reflected in the stats sheet, with a goal and an assist to his name.
"As for Ousmane Dembele, I was so happy," admits Hoarau. "Because I was thinking: guys, as soon as he really gets going in his World Cup, we’ll be able to watch France’s matches more calmly. And that’s exactly what happened yesterday.
"You could feel it from the start: he was trying to force the dribbles a bit, he really wanted to make an impact right away. And that’s what happens with players who know the team also needs their breakthrough.
"What bothers me is that people often talk about what he doesn’t do, but much less about what he brings: his activity, his runs, the way he constantly unsettles defences. They always double up on him.
"And when you have two defenders on Dembele, knowing you still have Olise and Mbappe to mark, obviously, if you don’t defend with 11 - or even 15, including the substitutes - it’s very tough for the opponent.
"That goal will clearly do him good mentally, and maybe it’ll get some critics to finally look at his overall performances, not just his stats. Unlike Mbappe, Dembele is above all a team player. He likes to make others shine - he likes to shine too, since he’s an attacker - but he’s not obsessed with individual performance.
"So they’re two completely different personalities. And the day we really understand that, the day France has the full support of the fans and the media, ‘sky is the limit’."
