By Breaking Belize News Staff (HP): France are still standing at the World Cup, but only just. The heavily fancied side struggled badly to break down a resolute Paraguay, and in the end needed a single goal, one from the penalty spot, to escape with a 1-0 win and avoid a stunning upset.
It was far from the commanding display many expected. Having scored freely throughout the tournament, France found Paraguay a completely different proposition, with their attack stifled for long stretches. That solitary goal proved the difference, and without it, France could easily have been sent home in shock fashion, just like Germany before them.
That comparison is no exaggeration. Paraguay arrived at this stage fresh off a monumental upset, having eliminated Germany in the previous round. Despite being dominated by the Germans, who controlled possession and fired in shot after shot, Paraguay refused to break, battling to a 1-1 draw before triumphing in a penalty shootout to knock out one of world football’s powerhouses.
Against that backdrop, France’s narrow win takes on a different light. Paraguay are proving to be a genuine force, a disciplined and determined outfit capable of frustrating and even toppling the biggest names in the game. They made France sweat from start to finish, and came agonisingly close to pulling off back-to-back giant-killings.
For Belizean football fans, it was gripping viewing. Watching a battling underdog take a tournament favourite to the brink is exactly the sort of drama that makes the World Cup so special, and Paraguay have won plenty of admirers along the way.
France will be grateful to advance, but this performance raised more questions than answers. Paraguay, meanwhile, bow out, if they do, with immense pride, having beaten Germany and given France the fright of their lives.
So was it a case of France flattering to deceive, Belize? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
The post France scrape past Paraguay and dodge a Germany-style shock appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
By Breaking Belize News Staff (HP): France are still standing at the World Cup, but only just. The heavily fancied side struggled badly to break down a resolute Paraguay, and in the end needed a single goal, one from the penalty spot, to escape with a 1-0 win and avoid a stunning upset. It was
The post France scrape past Paraguay and dodge a Germany-style shock appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.