You have to justify the title of this piece.
In the 2020 Euro Cup (played in 2021), France, current world champion, had left too soon.
He had done it in the round of 16, victim of the Swiss and in the penalty shootout (4-5).
Hugo Lloris was the French goalkeeper then, in that fateful 2021, and he continues to be so now, and when asked about that experience, he confesses:
–We have been exploring on penalties, we do it hand in hand with our analysts. But when you get to the decisive round, a psychological factor comes into play there.
To that, to psychology, Tomasz Szczesny (32) plays. He is the Polish goalkeeper. And in his professional career he has saved 26 of the 87 penalties that have been thrown at him, two of them in Qatar (one against the Saudi Salem Al-Dawsari and the other against Leo Messi).
–And it is that the Poles not only have Lewandowski and a good defensive approach. They also have Szczesny. We have sent three observers to analyze this team,” says Didier Deschamps, the French coach.
–Some goalkeepers are good at penalties. But if we focus well, from the beginning to the end, we have enough weapons to resolve before reaching the decisive round –Lloris closes.
And he’s right.
Who is going to question it?
The French have Mbappé, the boy who laughs, mocking, when they propose that he travel by train to avoid climate change, the man who has scored three goals these days in Qatar and who dreams of one day appropriating the Ballon d’Or .
–Mbappé is so fast! It will be difficult to stop him if we don’t have a motorcycle,” says Arkadiusz Milik, a Polish forward.
The French also have Varane, Tchouaméni, Dembélé, Griezmann and the well-travelled Giroud. They have the pedigree that their 2018 world title gives them. And they also have a cuckolding attack, a consequence of the tumble that Tunisia had inflicted on them at the end of the league (0-1).
(In his defense, it should be noted that Deschamps had rested nine of his eleven starters in his duel against the Tunisians).
Actually, the latter must be taken as a warning to sailors, because if you have to lose a World Cup game, let it be in an inconsequential episode like that.
(Despite their victory, the Tunisians are out of the tournament, in a grotesque parallel with the Cameroonians, eliminated after defeating Brazil).
“We’re not going to underestimate anyone,” says Deschamps. And less to the Poles. Apart from Szczesny, they have more experienced players. They are very well organized and their physique has presence.
