In the early hours of July 5th, France defeated Paraguay 1-0 to advance to the FIFA World Cup quarterfinals. Afterwards, several media personalities shared their views.
Reporter Ji Yuyang: How did Paraguay manage to play the entire match without a single yellow card, while all three yellow cards were given to their opponent, France? Before the match, there were jokes that Paraguay's tactics would be to "pull the turtle." Unexpectedly, in the actual game, the intensity they applied to the "turtle" was far more than just "pulling."
Commentator He Wei: You clumsy player, you've stepped on my coattails.
Commentator Han Qiaosheng: Given that the main referee ignored the opening elbow, you can imagine how lenient the officiating was for Paraguay later on. France struggled to break through Paraguay's staunch defense to secure their qualification. The biggest challenge in this match was Paraguay's almost Shaolin soccer-like tough tackling. The referee chose to turn a blind eye to such actions throughout the match, not issuing a single yellow card to Paraguay, but instead giving three yellow cards to France. Mbappe and Dembele were continuously targeted with entanglement and harassment, severely testing their composure on the field. Fortunately, both players remained calm and composed throughout.
Reporter Xiao Nan: South American players have too many minor and major fouls. What would happen if they encountered an Premier League referee?
Media personality Zhou Chao: From a tactical perspective, Paraguay almost succeeded, although it was indeed a bit "over the top." This is actually why I previously found it incomprehensible that teams playing against Argentina gave Messi so much space to roam. How the referee makes decisions is one thing; seeking to restrict an opponent's superstar on the edge of the rules is also a kind of helplessness. What happened to teams like Ecuador, Tunisia, and Ivory Coast, especially Tunisia, which is a classic example of self-sabotage.
Commentator Zhan Jun: France, relying on their advantage in offensive player reserves, broke the deadlock with a penalty won by substitute Doué. Mbappe is also now level with Messi on the FIFA World Cup scoring chart. Perhaps those who watched the game won't believe it, but all three yellow cards issued by the main referee in this match went to French players. Paraguay, despite so many fouls, minor fouls, and even deliberate hits on opposing players, didn't receive a single yellow card. However, another aspect also reflects Mbappe's maturity; he wasn't affected by the opponent's provocations, maintaining focus and calmly leading the team into the quarterfinals. The upcoming clash against Morocco will be a purely tactical and technical contest!
Reporter Ma Dexing: Today's match between France and Paraguay was actually similar to yesterday's Argentina vs. Cape Verde game. Everyone favored Argentina and France, but Argentina had a tough game. Now it's the same for France. Smooth sailing is not always a good thing; experiencing some setbacks is necessary. France barely scraped past Paraguay with a penalty. In fact, this might not be a bad thing; experiencing some twists and turns is more beneficial for the upcoming matches, just like Argentina the day before.
Reporter Cheng Wenli: This France-Paraguay showdown was not just a tactical and technical contest, but also a battle of mentality. Paraguay defended resolutely with a tight formation, relying on numerous close-contact fouls, emotional interference to wear down their opponents, and precisely managing the extent of their fouls, receiving 0 yellow cards throughout, while France received three! In this match, facing continuous provocations from the opponent, Mbappe and Dembele remained calm throughout, and Deschamps also promptly restrained his players to avoid conflict. The team fully anticipated off-field tactics before the game, with rich offensive and defensive routines and a calm mindset, not being swayed by the opponent's rhythm. This level of maturity in a major tournament was key to their victory in a tough fight.
Reporter Pei Li: A chaotic game. Paraguay's defenders were a bit too bullying!
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ElifasBonnie
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Paraguay and cape v , Croatia deserve to play 8 knockout