The figure of the unexpected hero in big matches is a soccer classic. That role fell to Theo Hernández tonight, the 25-year-old left-back for AC Milan, who found a place in Didier Deschamps’ team due to a family misfortune, the injury of Lucas, his older brother, who tore his cruciate ligament in France’s World Cup debut against Australia.
The injury to Lucas Hernández, a Bayern Munich winger, was just one addition and continues for a France that has been losing players in a way that seemed alarming and that was added to those of Kanté, Pogba, Maignan, Kimpbebmbe, Nkunku and Benzema , this already in the previous concentration. In fact, for the match against Morocco, the blues lost two other starters: Rabiot and Upamecano.
Theo Hernández’s pulse did not shake and he has replaced his brother forming a devilish left wing together with Mbappé. Theo started the rest of the World Cup matches, except for the inconsequential one in the group stage against Tunisia, in which he played in Camavinga’s place.
Trained in the Atlético youth academy, Lucas and Theo are the sons of Jean-François Hernández, between 1998 and 2002 a French player who went through Rayo Vallecano, Atlético and Compostela and who abandoned his family and was missing for 18 years .
The family drama strengthened the character of Lucas and Theo. “That was irreparable and we never understood it,” Lucas explained in an interview. The two stood out in the quarry of the mattress team but immediately the two changed scenery. Lucas, transferred to Bayern and Theo, without making his debut in the Atlético first team, went to Real Madrid after a loan at Alavés, where he was one of the revelations of the 2016-17 season.
Theo did not succeed at Real Madrid, covered by the presence of Marcelo. He played only 13 games and in the absence of opportunities the following year he was loaned to Real Sociedad, from where he was transferred to AC Milan. He did not have an easy start but he has already established himself with AC Milan at the San Siro, where he has spent four seasons, the last ones performing at a good level.
Theo Hernández had his share of leadership very early in the match in the semifinal. He only needed four minutes to score a goal for Bono, the first that the Sevilla goalkeeper conceded in the World Cup without counting the one scored by his Auguerd defense in the group stage match.
Theo Hernández’s goal proves the quality of the winger as a striker. He took advantage of an attack from France that ended in a shot from Mbappé, the ball stumbled off a defender and flew high to the side. Theo appeared there to finish off very high with a volley to beat Bono at his exit.
In minute 27 Theo also starred in the most controversial play of the game. When going to defend an action by Boufal, he took the Moroccan player ahead. Morocco claimed a penalty after understanding that the French winger had tripped the attacker inside the area, but the Mexican referee awarded the action with a yellow card for Boufal.
Starting at 1-0, Morocco tried, but France asserted its trade and defended itself until they scored with a goal from Kolo Muani. Another secondary high in the best of moments. Now only Argentina stands before a third World Cup for the French, the second in a row.
